Ken Salazar’s Political Reflections and Border Policy Advice

Ken Salazar, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Mexico under President Joe Biden, briefly contemplated a run for the presidency against Biden in 2024. His decision came after witnessing Biden’s poor performance in a July 2024 debate. According to excerpts from a book revealed by Politico, Salazar thought to himself, “I should run for president.”

Salazar expressed frustration with the administration’s handling of the U.S. border situation. He had urged for the appointment of a border czar and encouraged President Biden to recognize the border issue as a crisis early on. Salazar stated, “There was political failure to understand the reality of the crisis at the border, and the political consequence it would have on Democrats in the 2024 election.” Despite internal acknowledgment of the crisis, the White House avoided officially labeling it as such.

At one point, Salazar advised then-Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to use the term “crisis.” Mayorkas reportedly responded, “Ken, I have a lot on my plate already. I’m about to be impeached for all this border stuff. The Republicans have it out for me.” Though Salazar never formally entered the race, he recruited a team and developed a presidential platform. However, with no open primaries, the Democratic Party nominated Vice President Kamala Harris directly, a decision Salazar criticized.

Salazar also voiced disappointment in Harris’s efforts as the designated “border czar,” a role he had advocated for. He felt her strategies were ineffective in managing migration, stating, “She had been placed in charge of getting at the ‘root causes’ of migration, but many felt she had been ineffective.” Despite her proximity to the Oval Office, many believed she was unable to make a significant impact on the border crisis.

Despite Biden’s late decision to secure the border in 2024, Salazar acknowledged it was too delayed to sway public perception. He noted that visual depictions of an uncontrolled border repeatedly dominated media during the campaign’s final months.

In his book “Borderlands: My Fight For An Inclusive America,” Salazar shares advice with potential presidential candidates. He champions a “borderlands platform” recognizing the broken state of the U.S. immigration system and the urgency of reform. Salazar has spoken with Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, and plans discussions with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Salazar, Pritzker, Gallego, and Kelly for their comments on these developments.