‘It’s a mess’: Vulnerable House Dem shreds Biden on border crisis in ‘closing message’ of campaign

A House Democratic incumbent running in a tight race is touting his agreement with Republicans about President Biden’s responsibility on the border crisis.

Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., released a new ad his campaign called his “closing message” emphasizing his willingness to break from his own party.

“My first commander in the Army always said, ‘You’re not doing your job right if you don’t piss a few people off.’ I guess you could say I took his advice,” Ryan began in the minute-long clip. 

“Even my own party — when I stood with Republicans and demanded Biden take action to secure our border. It’s a mess. He needs to clean it up.”

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Rep. Pat Ryan called out President Biden in a new ad. (Getty Images)

He then accused Republicans, including his opponent Alison Esposito, of walking in lock-step with former President Donald Trump.

“Their loyalty is to big donors and Trump. The only flag I pledge allegiance to is the one I wore on my shoulder in combat,” Ryan said.

Esposito campaign manager Ben Weiner blasted Ryan in response, “Pat Ryan has been an open-border, pro-sanctuary proponent his entire career.”

“This is a lame attempt from Pat Ryan to run away from his pro-illegal migrant record two weeks before an election. Pat Ryan is wrong on all the issues. He has voted against lifting the SALT Cap, supports the radical Green New Deal, and thinks New Yorkers will not recognize that he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Hudson Valley voters know the real Sanctuary Pat and won’t be fooled,” Weiner told Fox News Digital.

Weiner also pointed out that Ryan signed an order in 2019 as Ulster County executive stopping local agencies from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Local reports from the time suggest Ryan did halt most cooperation of county employees with ICE, but the Mid Hudson News reported his order “avoids controversial ‘Sanctuary’ language,” and the Daily Freeman reported it did not stop law enforcement from working with immigration agents investigating crimes.

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NYPD veteran Alison Esposito is running against Ryan. (Getty Images)

New York’s 18th Congressional District includes part of New York City’s northern suburbs and is anchored by the city of Poughkeepsie. It also includes West Point Military Academy, Ryan’s own alma mater.

Republicans, whose 2022 House majority win was driven by victories in the Big Apple’s suburbs, have eyed Ryan’s seat as a prime pickup opportunity.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates his seat D+2.

Esposito is a 25-year veteran of the New York Police Department (NYPD).

Her own campaign emphasized the border in a recent ad warning her district is “paying the price of an open border.”

“DC politicians are funding illegal immigrants. Who’s fighting for us?” she asked.

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Border Patrol picks up a group of asylum seekers from an aid camp at the US-Mexico border near Sasabe, Arizona, US, on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (Justin Hamel/Getty Images)

Her campaign also created a website using the “Sanctuary Pat” label to point out Ryan taking softer stances on the border in the past.

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But the issue has become a political lightening rod in this election.

What’s long been a hot-button issue for Republicans has now become a metric of moderation for Democrats who are working to appeal to middle-ground voters.

The paradigm shift shows the effects the border crisis has had on cities and towns throughout the country, with apprehensions between ports of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border hitting record levels under the Biden administration.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.