Missouri’s two U.S. senators say they didn’t need former President Donald Trump to tell them the border bill that was shot down before launch this week was a horrible idea – and that their constituents knew it, too.

In separate interviews with The Heartlander, both Sen. Eric Schmitt and Sen. Josh Hawley said the bill – which would’ve allowed in at least 5,000 illegals a day, while providing them with free legal aid and instant employment access – was laughable enough on its face.

But they further scoffed at President Joe Biden’s claim the bill ended up in flames because “MAGA Republicans” are “afraid of Donald Trump.” Both senators claim the American people know better than that.

“No,” Schmitt chuckled when asked if he bent to pressure from Trump. “I mean, President Trump had the right view of this, which was a disaster. But I came to that conclusion independently, and I’ve been warning about this for weeks.”

Likewise, said Hawley.

“I’m glad that Trump came out against it, I’ll tell you, because I have been making the argument for a while that this was a bad bill. I’m glad he was against it. He should have been against it. What’s decisive in this is that the American people are against it. I mean, anybody who cares about a secure border and looks at that bill and says, ‘You’re going to allow thousands of illegals a day, you’re going to give them all work permits, you’re going to give them all lawyers …’ I mean, it’s a Democrat dream.”

Schmitt agreed, arguing the bill would “create essentially an express lane for illegal immigration through these – you might as well call them ‘amnesty agents,’ referred to as ‘asylum agents.’ It would be outside of the court system, and essentially you’d have a fast pass into granting citizenship at the border. This would be a huge magnet for the cartels to bring more people to our southern border illegally.  

“And then [the bill] would also expand work permits immediately which, again, would drive more illegal immigration. It completely carves out the courts that have typically dealt with these issues in places like Texas, and removes those cases and those challenges to, guess where: the D.C. circuit, which is notoriously liberal. 

“So, this is a wish list for open borders. [The bill’s authors] got what they wanted, but that’s why the bill is a bad deal for the American people and our sovereignty.”

Schmitt said he was encouraged by citizens’ ability to see through White House and media “lies” aimed at giving “cover to Joe Biden, when he’s the cause of all of this terrible human suffering and illegal immigration we see at our southern border.”

Both senators said Republican opposition to the bill was certainly no “stunning turnaround” as NBC News termed it.

“Not at all,” Schmitt said. “And I think part of the problem here was, this was negotiated in secret. Members were not really let in on the details until the text came out. If you care about securing our border, this did the opposite. 

“The president doesn’t need any new language to secure the border. He can do it right now. He can reinstate ‘remain in Mexico.’ He can stop abusing [immigration] parole. He can finish the wall [with] the money that’s been appropriated. All those things that he changed on day one, he could reinstitute and we’d have a secure border.

“But the dirty little secret in this town is, Joe Biden’s not interested in that. He’s now interested in sort of passing off blame, but the American people aren’t going to buy this. They know that the 9 million people here illegally lay at the feet of Joe Biden – and all the fentanyl and all the human trafficking and all the national security risks that are now in place are because of Joe Biden’s [failed] leadership.”

“Well, listen, it wasn’t a turnaround by me,” Hawley added. “I was always opposed to an open border bill, and that’s what this is. I mean, this was a Democrat giveaway – everything they’ve always wanted, like mandatory lawyers for illegal immigrants. Seriously, that’s in the bill, where we’re going to have to pay for lawyers for illegal immigrants to litigate against us and our laws and try to stay in this country. Expedited work permits for illegal immigrants: people who are here illegally, under that bill could get a work permit and start working ASAP. 

“This is crazy stuff. Why anybody who believes in a secure border would ever be for that is beyond me. And that’s why I voted no.”

Yet, much of the national media are portraying Republicans as having voted against a true border security bill that had bipartisan support. The Heartlander asked the senators why they would do such a thing.

“Because it’s not a border security bill,” Hawley replied. “It was an open borders bill. And I guess it was bipartisan in the sense that you got two Republican votes for it, but that’s about it. I mean, overwhelmingly, Republicans were opposed to it in the Senate.

“And more importantly, Republican voters looking at this, just normal people were like, ‘Wait a minute, you’re going to allow 5,000 people to cross illegally, every single day before you close the border? You’re going to allow illegal immigrants to get work permits? Are you insane?’ It was a terrible bill, and I’m glad it’s dead.”

What now? Schmitt is quick with an answer.

“We ought to just insist that Joe Biden do what he’s supposed to do as president of the United States and secure our border and protect the American people. He refuses to do that, and that’s where the problem is.”