but its prospects in the House remain# uncertain.

That's as Republican lawmakers## move closer toward impeaching# the homeland security secretary.

With us on this Monday are Amy Walter of The## Cook Political Report With Amy# Walter and Tamar Happy Monday, as they say.

TAMARA KEITH, National Publi President Biden is embracing strict support of this emerging border security# and immigration deal on the Hill.

He's supporting policies that are tougher than# the ones he's advocated for in the past.

Here's what he said to South# Carolina voters over the weekend.

JOE BIDEN, President of the United States:# It'll also give me as president the emergenc authority to shut down the border until# it could get back under bill were the law today, I'd shut down# the border right now and fix it quickly.

GEOFF BENNETT: So he says he's willing to shut# down the border.

At the same time, Donald Trump## is trying to tank this agreement, urging the# House speaker, Mike Johnson, not to suppo Here's what Donald Trump says.

DONALD TRUMP, Former Preside that's OK.

Please blame it on me, please, because# they were getting ready to pass a very bad bill.

And I will tell you what.

A bad bill is --# I'd rather have no bill than a bad bill.

GEOFF BENNETT: So, Tam, the politics of this# are so transparent.

I mean, it appears that, for## Donald Trump, the problem of immigration is more# politically useful than an immigration solution.

TAMARA KEITH: And he's been fairly# transparent about saying that.

The -- having an issue that you can beat Joe# Biden over the head with for an d an issue that independent voters, even# many Democratic voters, say is a real concern## and that Republican voters are off-the-charts# worried about, that is absolutely something## that former President Trump wants to be able to# have as he campaigns against President Biden.

And if, somehow, through magic that may not# exist, a bipartisan deal were reached on## immigration and border security that allowed# President Biden to take actions and actually## address this problem that everyone says is# a crisis, that would be good for President## Biden.

That would inoculate him against# the charges that he's soft on the border.

And, certainly, that's why you're hearing# President Biden using that language, saying,## I would shut it down right now.# He is daring Republicans to say,## yes, we want the issue, we don't want this# solution, because it's not perfect enough.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, Amy, the former# president trying to be magnanimous,## saying, it's OK, blame me, as if he's not the main# AMY WALTER, The Cook Political Report: Yes, it# seems to me, well, first of all, as Tam pointed## out, it's not just that Trump wants to talk about# this issue for the n But if you look at the polling at -- there was a# Wall Street Journal poll out a couple months ago,## he's got a 25-point lead over Biden on# who do you trust on border security.

So,## again, if we're talking about blatantly# political, there's your reason right there.

I do think, though, there's a difference --# and we will see if this is the case -- once## we get to November between border security and# immigration.

So the issue of bord there's no doubt that this is a big# challenge for the administration.## This is definitely a weakness for this# administration, for this president.

But on immigration, you have Donald Trump# and those around Donald Trump saying, look,## our agenda on immigration is going to be mass# deportations.

It's going to be setting up## detention centers.

We're going to deputize people# to be able to go into cities and deport citizens.

We haven't really had that conversation# yet.

And that's what I'm curious to see## as we move from now all through# the summer and into the fall,## where these two issues, how those two# issues are playing off against each other.

GEOFF BENNETT: Let's talk more about 2024,# because Nikki Haley says she intends to stay## in the race through Super Tuesday.

She# now says she doesn't necessarily ha to win South Carolina, her home state.# She only needs to do better than she## did in New Hampshire and show that# sort of trend line of improvement.

Is she right about that?

TAMARA KEITH: She is right that th at I need to do better in New Hampshire# than I did in Iowa.

Now she's headed to## South Carolina.

She's not talking about# winning.

She's talking about Math does not favor a path where you just do# a little bit better along the way.

And that is## because, when you get to Super Tuesday,# for instance, a state like California,## they changed the rules.

It used to be you could# pick off congressional districts and win some## delegates in each congressional.

She could win the# suburban congressional districts, for instance.

Well, now if someone were to get more than# 50 percent, then it becomes winner-take-all.## And it's quite likely in a two-person race# with Republicans voting that Donald Trump,## based on what we have seen in the past and what# we have seen in entrance polling and exit polling,## Donald Trump's going to do better than 50 percent.

And so now a state like California with# a huge she gets a goose egg.

It's# really hard to keep competing,## trying to win this war of attrition to try to# build up the delegates if you just don't win.

AMY WALTER: Yes, as long as you hit a threshold, maybe# over 25 percent, 30 percent, you got a## certain number of delegates.

It's not# how it works on the Republican side.## And this is especially true in a state# like California, as Tam pointed out,## where not only can -- if someone gets 50# percent, they get basically all the delega but that registered independents do not# get to vote in the Republican primary.

That's a big state to lose voters who define# themselves or are registered as independents,## because we know that many of those voters# would maybe be more open to Nikki Haley.

GEOFF BENNETT: And as we talk about the# obstacles that lay before Nikki Haley,## she's also saying that the RNC, in her view, isn't# an honest broker, that they're not pl What does she -- what can# she point to back that up?

TAMARA KEITH: Well, Ronna McDaniel# no w we need to consolidate.# I wish I had the exact quote,## but she went on television and said, Nikki# Hale She's the head of the Republican Party.

That# makes Haley's case that the party isn't staying## independent here, it makes the case for her.# Now, Haley can stay in the race as long as she## has money to stay in the race.

And what she has# said is that Donald Trump going out there and,## as she described it, being unhinged on New# Hampshire primary night and criticizing her## dress and everything else, all of that has# helped her raise small-dollar donations.

And so she actually has the money to# continue going, at least for a while.

AMY WALTER: And she's on a fund-raising## tour.

She's going all across Now, it's not enough to really compete in# these Super Tuesday states like California## and Texas, which costs millions of# millions of millions of dollars.

GEOFF BENNETT: Yes.

GEOFF BENNETT: We have got about a minute left.

There's another AMY WALTER: That's right.

AMY WALTER: You know, we know that# there are still two other on the ballot.

We have got Dean# Phillips and Marianne Williamson.

Now, Dean Phillips put a lot of effort# into New Hampshire to only get somewhere## around 20 percent of the vote.

Hasn't# put much effort into South Carolina,## if any at all.

Let's see what those numbers look# like.

If, indeed, as Phillips said, there is an## enthusiasm problem, there's a base problem for# the president, it would show up in that total.

TAMARA KEITH: Yes, and obviously watching# turnout as well as everything else.

AMY WALTER: Yes.

TAMARA KEITH: You're welcome.