As expected Tuesday, the House fell short of the votes needed to override President Donald Trump’s first veto. Democrats needed 38 more votes than the 248 they secured (including 14 Republicans) to cancel Trump’s emergency declaration on the border. It’s been a bad week for Democrats.

A brief history is in order:

Trump campaigned on building a wall and making Mexico foot the bill. The latter obviously wasn’t going to happen, but neither did securing funding while Republicans controlled both houses of Congress and the White House. So, shortly after losing the House in November, Trump battled incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer over barrier funding, leading to a five-week partial government shutdown because Democrats would rather pander for votes than secure the border.

Eventually, Trump signed a continuing resolution to reopen the government, though he then declared a national emergency at the border so he could appropriate funds for building part of the barrier. Democrat states immediately filed an obstructionist lawsuit, and Democrats in Congress prepared legislation that would cancel Trump’s emergency. Clearly, Trump wasn’t going to sign it — the bill was just for show. And after Trump’s inevitable veto, Democrats likewise staged a show vote to override it. With the House’s failure, the Senate won’t even attempt an override.

But if you think this growing crisis started last year, think again. The beginnings of the flood of illegals across our southern border trace all the way back to the 1960s. Yes, Democrats have moved to the extreme left in recent years — they too were demanding a wall little more than a decade ago — but the parties have battled over immigration for 50 years. It is, after all, an effective fundraiser and vote driver.

Leftists — and a few Republicans — are fighting Trump tooth and nail. But the president has followed through on many of his campaign promises, and he’s doing what he can for the border, too.