Conservative columnist Pat Buchanan says the “Gang of Eight” immigration reform bill will, if passed, threaten national security and destroy the Republican Party’s ability to compete on a national level.

Buchanan, author of “Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?” told radio host Laura Ingraham on Monday that passing a “blanket pardon” of illegal immigrants would be “an act of madness,” particularly in the wake of last week’s terrorist attacks in Boston.

“It’s been one week since something like 178 to 180 Americans — three of them murdered — but 178 injured, maimed and wounded by two individuals who were immigrants to this country who were asylum seekers and granted asylum and given benefits,” Buchanan said. “They were newcomers to America, and the idea that we would be considering amnesty — a blanket pardon for all 11 or 12 or 20 million, or however many millions of illegal immigrants are in the country — [that] we would be considering a blanket pardon is an act of madness.”

“I mean what the United States ought to do and what Marco Rubio and the others ought to do is say what we need to get into law is these enforcement mechanisms we’re working on at the border,” he continued. “Get all the enforcement mechanisms and drop the amnesty until we find out who these folks are and who is in this country. This is ridiculous, absurd that the United States should be thinking about amnesty for 11 or 12 million people right now.”

Buchanan later warned this so-called blanket amnesty would have political consequences, and said its passage would herald “the end of the Republican Party as a presidential party” as once-reliable Republican states turn deep blue.

“[W]hat is the reason Republicans are doing it?” Buchanan said. “You and I know, Laura — they were terrified by the fact that they lost the Hispanic vote 71-to-27 [percent]. I think there were many other reasons why they did that but that’s what they believe, and they’re in a political panic because of this, which is all fine and politicians in panic do various things. But, right now amnesty for 11 or 12 million people that we do not know — we do not know where they are or who they are — a blanket amnesty, it seems to me, is almost an act of suicidal folly.”

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