Obama on Not Visiting the Border: ‘I’m Not Interested in Photo Ops’

Obama on Not Visiting the Border: 'I'm Not Interested in Photo Ops' (RealClearPolitics)

QUESTION: There have been calls not just from Republicans but some Democrats to visit the border during this trip. Can you explain why you didn't do that? And do you see any legitimate reason for you to actually do that at some point or do you think those calls are more about politics than anything else? 

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: [Department of Homeland Security Secretary] Jeh Johnson has now visited, at my direction, the border five times. He's gone for a sixth this week. He then comes back and reports to me extensively on everything that's taking place. So there's nothing that is taking place down there that I am not intimately aware of and briefed on. This isn't theater. This is a problem. I'm not interested in photo ops, I'm interested in solving a problem. And those who say I should visit the border, when you ask them what we should be doing, they're giving us suggestions that are embodied in legislation that I've already sent to Congress. So it's not as if they're making suggestions that we're not listening to.