CNN political commentator and former Clinton White House press secretary Joe Lockhart on Wednesday ripped into former GOP Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.) over border security, saying that the American people don't "need a lecture from you or the president."

Lockhart, during a segment on CNN's "New Day," added that "there is not a crisis at the border."

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"We have four times as many border agents than in 2000," he said. "We have about 80 percent less people coming over. It's a manufactured crisis for the president to get a political win.”

Earlier in the segment, Santorum said immigrants in the country illegally "should not be here" and said that a wall along the southern border would reduce crime in the U.S.

"Every border security agent and homeland security person that's interviewed says that border security fencing and walls are an important part of an integrated plan to secure the border," Santorum said. "We have almost 700 miles of fence and it has worked. It's dramatically reduced crime and immigration."

“I don’t think the American public needs a lecture from you or from the President on what the problem is. There is not a crisis at the border,” @joelockhart says to @RickSantorum that the “real national emergency” is gun violence. https://t.co/xPyaoSwi8s pic.twitter.com/hwRGu1BQj7 — New Day (@NewDay) January 9, 2019

The back-and-forth came as the federal government is currently in the 19th day of a partial shutdown that was prompted because President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE refused to signed a funding bill that didn't include $5.7 billion for a wall along the southern border.

With Democrats vowing not to approve any funding for a wall, Trump gave a prime-time address Tuesday night in which he argued that a wall is necessary to confront a “growing humanitarian and security crisis" at the border.

Trump is scheduled to meet Wednesday with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) to resume negotiations over border security.