Harris hits Trump as a ‘lawless president’ over reported border pardons offer

White House contender Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) criticized President Trump after The Washington Post reported that he’s offered pardons to officials who are willing to expedite the construction of a border wall. 

The Post story noted Trump had told aides they should take actions including seizing private land or disregarding environmental regulations, citing current and former officials.

Trump also said he would be willing to pardon aides who were found to have engaged in any wrongdoing to accomplish that goal, according to the Post, though an unnamed official told the newspaper the president was joking about the pardons.{mosads}

“Donald Trump is dangling pardons for subordinates who would break the law to build his vanity project on the southern border,” Harris tweeted, along with a link to the Washington Post report. 

“Let’s be honest here: Trump is a lawless president.”

Donald Trump is dangling pardons for subordinates who would break the law to build his vanity project on the southern border.

Let’s be honest here: Trump is a lawless president.https://t.co/3awSuPusvv

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 28, 2019

Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, another Democratic presidential candidate, also called out Trump over the Post’s story and issued another call for impeaching Trump.

“We can’t become numb to these stories: Trump has promised to pardon government workers who break the law to build a wall we don’t need,” O’Rourke tweeted. “This is the consequence of failing to impeach him: He believes he’s above the law—and he’ll keep acting like it, until we hold him accountable.”

We can’t become numb to these stories: Trump has promised to pardon government workers who break the law to build a wall we don’t need. This is the consequence of failing to impeach him: He believes he’s above the law—and he’ll keep acting like it, until we hold him accountable. https://t.co/tMrVwxVIMm

— Beto O’Rourke (@BetoORourke) August 28, 2019

The White House did not return The Hill’s request for comment on Wednesday regarding the Post’s reporting. 

The promised 500-mile border wall was a signature proposal in his 2016 election. He has told crowds at campaign rallies that the wall is being built and accused the media of spreading lies that it’s not. 

The Post reports that 60 miles of barrier to replace current fencing at the southern border has been completed in Trump’s first term, which is about one-tenth of the barrier Trump promised voters.