Biden's new move is playing offense on border politics. But will voters be swayed?

As Republicans in Congress tanked bipartisan legislation this week on beefing up border security, President Biden took the opportunity to do something he hasn't done before when it comes to handling the politics over the crisis at the U.S. southern border: he went on offense.

Biden said the bill would have let him "temporarily shut down the border" when migrant numbers overwhelmed resources — but said Republicans were running scared from former President Donald Trump. Biden said Trump wanted to keep border issues alive as an election issue rather than see a compromise deal.

"Every day between now and November, the American people are going to know that the only reason the border is not secure is Donald Trump and his MAGA Republican friends," Biden vowed.

Biden now has someone else to blame for the border

Border security has become an increasingly difficult issue for Biden, given the record number of migrants coming across the border, overwhelming the ability of communities to house and help them.

In a recent NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist poll, only 29% of respondents said they approve of how Biden is handling immigration. And Republicans win over Democrats by 12 points on which party is better at dealing with the issue of immigration.

While those sentiments are unlikely to shift wholesale, the GOP's rejection of a bill that would have addressed the issue gives Biden a powerful new argument, said Republican strategist Alex Conant.

"He was on defense three months go. He's on offense today," said Conant, who previously worked for Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

It's a message that has the potential to resonate with Democrats who are concerned about the number of migrants, as well as some independent voters, Conant said.

"He has a story