Vulnerable Democratic senator promotes border wall in new ad despite previous denial that it's a “waste of money”

Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania) has faced criticism from his Republican opponent for including an image of a border wall in a campaign ad touting his efforts to secure the southern border, even though he has previously opposed the wall, calling it a “waste of money.”

In Casey's latest ad, he says he has “voted for border security repeatedly,” and that he “voted for border security 25 times.” In the background of the ad, a screen shows a border wall and what appears to be construction of a Trump-era wall.

The move is similar to that of the Harris campaign, which has featured images of a border wall in its ads despite halting most of the wall's construction.

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But the weak Democratic senator has previously been more likely to oppose the wall than to support it, saying in 2019 that it was a waste of money and that the US should “invest in border infrastructure and security technology at the ports of entry where most of the illegal smuggling happens.”

“President Trump doesn't seem to get it. He's not going to build a concrete and steel wall along the border. Absolutely not, absolutely not,” Casey told The X Show.

“If President Trump is serious about fighting illegal drugs, he should stop talking about building an ineffective wall and start talking about hiring more people and monitoring vehicle inspections around the clock,” Casey said in an interview that year.

Governor Casey also voted against a border security agreement that would have offered permanent residency to young illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children in exchange for border wall funding.

The Biden administration halted border wall construction in early 2021 after taking office. Casey's votes show he supports that move. He has repeatedly voted against Republican-sponsored measures to block the cancellation of wall construction contracts. He also voted against the House Republican border security bill that included funding for the border wall, and voted against an amendment to replace funding for the Chief Readiness Officer with $500 million for border wall construction in 2022.

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Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick (right) believes Pennsylvania voters know the importance of the 2024 election. (Reuters, Associated Press)

Fox News Digital previously reported that Governor Casey supported a border fence in 2006 but voted against a number of fence-related budget amendments in subsequent years.

Casey has backed a bipartisan border security measure this year that would increase funding for the border and limit asylum seekers from entering the U.S., and has the support of the Biden administration, including Vice President Kamala Harris. The bill includes limited funding for a border wall, a fraction of the billions of dollars requested by former President Trump.

Dave McCormick, a Republican running for the Senate seat, accused Casey of lying about his background in the ad.

“Bob Casey has once again lied to our state government as he tries desperately to hide his weak and extreme record of opposing the wall, supporting an open border and allowing the flood of fentanyl into Pennsylvania,” McCormick said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Pennsylvanians are tired of liberal hypocrisy and want a strong leader who will fight every day to finish the wall, secure our border and protect our communities.”

Casey's campaign defended his record on the border, pointing out that he supported the 2013 “Gang of Eight” bipartisan immigration reform bill, which included measures such as adding 700 miles of fencing to the border and creating a path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants.

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McCormick accused Casey of lying about his background. (Getty Images)

He also cited Governor Casey's wide-ranging votes on border security, including an electronic identification system, emergency funding for security and Border Patrol hiring, a 2023 budget proposal that includes $10.7 billion for Border Security, and a 2021 amendment that would create a deficit-neutral reserve fund for immigration enforcement.

“Senator Casey has voted for border security more than 25 times, working with Republicans to add physical barriers, increase Border Patrol agents and invest in border security technology that will stop the illegal distribution of fentanyl and keep Pennsylvanians safe,” spokeswoman Kate Smart said.

The campaign also cited McCormick's opposition to a bipartisan bill introduced this year that he called a “surrender” and said would entrench high levels of illegal immigration.

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“David McCormick is more interested in playing petty politics than keeping Pennsylvanians safe, which is why he voted against the toughest border security bill in modern history, supported by border patrol agents and written by members of his own party,” Smart said.

This ad is not the only wall-related ad controversy in the Senate race. Rep. Collin Allred (D-Texas) has featured a southern border wall in a recent Senate campaign ad, despite previously claiming that former President Trump's proposed wall was “racist.”

Fox News' Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.