This will probably qualify as the least surprising news of the day.
Yesterday, Donald Trump was speaking to the media about the immigration crisis and the topic of asylum seekers came up.
This is how CNN’s Jim Acosta described the statements.
Trump in Rose Garden speech paints asylum seekers with broad brush accusing them of misleading immigration authorities at border: “These are frivolous claims.”
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) May 16, 2019
Acosta’s assertion is that Trump broadly accused asylum seekers of making frivolous claims. The very definition of painting someone with a “broad brush” is to insinuate something about the entirety of a group.
Keep that in mind as we look at what was actually said because Trump quite literally did the opposite.
You know there's video proving you're lying, right?
Trump: "Our nation has a proud history of affording protection to those fleeing government persecutions. Unfortunately, legitimate asylum seekers are being displaced by those lodging frivolous claims….My plan expedites relief" pic.twitter.com/Gvz93vZBh3
— Trump War Room – Text TRUMP to 88022 & get the APP (@TrumpWarRoom) May 16, 2019
It’s all there in the video.
Not only did Trump not paint asylum seekers with a broad brush, he specifically mentioned the existence of legitimate asylum seekers. It is also factual to state that legitimate claims are being held up and displaced by frivolous asylum claims (which make up about 80% of current claims)
Words have meaning and Acosta lied about Trump’s comments, making it seem as if he’d just randomly attacked asylum seekers and accused them all of being frauds. Given Trump’s words were so short anyway, he could have easily just posted the full quote instead of putting his false spin on it. He chose not to for obvious reasons.
This is classic narrative driving by a biased reporter who wants to pretend he’s just an honest purveyor of straight news.
After hours of being called out for his dishonesty, Acosta then doubled down.
This is childish nonsense on Acosta’s part. Is his assertion that no asylum claims are frivolous? And if so, why does he think it’s his job to editorialize in such a way? Again, it is factual to describe not only some, but a large portion of asylum claims as meritless because they simply are.
Instead of providing the full context of Trump’s remarks, Acosta chose to lie to his audience by purposely misconstruing what was said, not including that Trump acknowledged legitimate asylum seekers, and insinuating that no asylum claims are fraudulent.
In other words, it’s another day at CNN. Apples and bananas and all that.
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