CNN host Kasie Hunt was visibly stunned by a bold statement from incoming border czar Tom Homan. Homan declared he’d jail a Democratic mayor who opposes the second Trump administration’s deportation plans.
Hunt played a clip of Homan saying he’s "willing to put" Denver Mayor Mike Johnston in jail. Johnston had previously said he’d be willing to face arrest for refusing to deport illegal immigrants in his city. Hunt described the rhetoric as "more extreme" than what was heard on the Trump campaign trail.
"That has some significant and more extreme echoes than some of what we heard from the Trump campaign on the trail," Hunt said to her panel. The discussion included former Trump communications director Mike Dubke and Democratic operative Hyma Moore.
Mayor Johnston’s defiant stance has drawn significant attention. In an interview with 9News, Johnston said he’d go to jail to oppose any "illegal or immoral" deportation tactics under a second Trump presidency.
"Yeah, I'm not afraid of that, and I'm also not seeking that," Johnston said. He emphasized a desire to negotiate on tough issues and clarified he supports limited deportations for those convicted of serious crimes.
Homan, nominated as border czar in November, fired back during an interview with Fox News. He accused Johnston of "breaking the law" and stated he’d follow through on arresting the mayor if necessary.
"You are absolutely breaking the law," Homan told Sean Hannity. "Me and the Denver mayor, we agree on one thing. He’s willing to go to jail, I’m willing to put him in jail."
Hunt’s reaction to the exchange was palpable. After playing clips of both Johnston and Homan, she appeared wide-eyed and let out a concerned "Oooooof."
She turned to Dubke for his thoughts on Homan’s fiery rhetoric. Dubke argued that strong language was a key part of Trump’s first-term immigration strategy.
"Tom Homan’s very strong language is going to restrict and impede the number of people that are actually flooding the border," Dubke said.
"You’re saying it’s going to discourage people from trying to come?" Hunt asked.
"Totally discourage that," Dubke replied, adding that toned-down rhetoric under Biden led to a surge in migration.