Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey said President Donald Trump is acting like Pontius Pilate by choosing to rescind DACA.

“The president is acting like Pontius Pilate and he’s washing his hands of this mess,” Markey said during a CNN interview on Wednesday morning, “knowing that these are all innocent young people who are caught in a crossfire.”

Markey is apparently referring to Pontius Pilate’s decision to send Jesus to be crucified because of the pressure of the Roman crowds, even though he himself thought Jesus was innocent of treason.

Some have opined that Trump doesn’t really want to end DACA but just wants to throw red meat to his base, hence the six month delay with the hopes that Congress will pass something to protect Dreamers.

“Rather than being presidential, rather than standing up and saying that he will be the leader…he’s just walking away,” Markey continued during the interview. “It would be far better if the president was saying that right now…be a leader and tell us what the solution should be.”

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