Axios: US border deal on life support as negotiators battle 'misinformation'

After four months of intensive negotiations, the US Senate is on the verge of abandoning a bipartisan border security deal that Republicans once demanded as a precondition to new military aid for Ukraine, Report informs via Axios.

The bill text hasn't even been released, as furious negotiators are keen to point out. But the toxic realities of election-year politics — including an intervention from former President Trump — have pushed the deal to the precipice of collapse.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has used rumors of the bill's contents to pronounce it "dead on arrival," but some Senate Republicans have been holding out hope that the dynamic will change once text is released.

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), the lead GOP negotiator, said he's been meeting with Republicans one-on-one to clear up "misinformation" about the bill.

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) even suggested Russian disinformation could be the source of some online messaging against the bill, telling Politico: "[S]ome people would rather not see funding for Ukraine."

Senate Republicans emerged from a conference lunch Wednesday with no consensus on the path forward — other than the urgent need for bill text to be released.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) seemed to open the door to a standalone funding package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan — potentially dropping the GOP's border conditions after months of linkage.

"There is bipartisan support here in the Senate for both Israel and Ukraine. Hopefully, at some point, we can get them the support they need," McConnell said.

"I'd still like to move forward on the border deal, but … sand's going through the hourglass," Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said about Ukraine and Israel's military needs.