Texas Migrant Camp Cleared, Biden Attacks Border Patrol

After a week of fake outrage, President Biden sharply criticized Border Patrol agents for doing their job. Coverage by the left and right are worlds apart.

Summary

After a week of fake outrage and attempts to suppress press access, the migrant camp under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas has been cleared.

• With the spotlight on the U.S.-Mexico border, Mexico is urging the mostly Haitian migrants to abandon their plans to enter the United States and request asylum in Guatemala.
• Of the nearly 15,000 Haitians at the encampment, only 1,500 have been deported. The United Nations and Democrats are mad about the deportations.
• President Biden slammed his own agency and denigrated Border Patrol agents:  “It’s horrible what you saw. To see people like they did, with horses, running them over, people being strapped. It’s outrageous. I promise you those people will pay.” Border Patrol has been using horses since 1924.
• The photographer of the images sparking the fake outrage, in which Border Patrol agents were allegedly whipping migrants crossing the border illegally, said no one was whipped and that the agents were swinging the reins to keep people away from the horse.

• The Guardian reported on the criticisms among Democrats towards Biden’s “baffling” approach to border security that “could tear the Democratic coalition apart.”
• Biden’s promise to punish the Border Patrol agents for doing their job was the focus of British outlet BBC.
• The fake outrage over horse-mounted Border Patrol units prompted ABC News to examine whether horses are appropriate in any law enforcement situation.
• CNN promoted both President Biden and Vice President Harris’ condemnation of Border Patrol agents doing their job.

• Fox News decried their competitors’ complete abrogation of their fact-checking duties on the “whipping migrant” narrative.
• The Daily Wire highlighted President Biden’s false claims on the same issue, reporting on the social media backlash Biden received for perpetuating a narrative that had been completely debunked days ago.
• The Washington Times reported on photographer Paul Ratje’s assertions that his photos are being misconstrued and that no migrants were being whipped.

Author’s Take

The issue is not that the media got the story wrong. That happens, though too often in many people’s opinions to be considered honest mistakes.  The problem is that nearly the entire mainstream media went into overdrive to perpetuate this false narrative that migrants were being whipped. It was proven completely false and there are no consequences. No one has issued substantive corrections. The story got so far out of hand that the Biden administration is committing to policy changes in response TO FAKE NEWS.

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© Dallas Gerber, 2021