To say that it’s been a wild news day regarding the whole “border patrol agents use whips on Haitian migrants” nontroversy would be an understatement.
First off, there was the interview El Paso-based news outlet KTSM did with the photographer behind the now-infamous photos, Paul Ratje, who said the images had been “misconstrued,” further undercutting the central claim being made by the White House, other Democrats and many media outlets about the CBP.
“I’ve never seen them whip anyone,” Ratje told KTSM. “He was swinging it, but it can be misconstrued when you’re looking at the picture.”
While that story was being widely shared on social media, President Joe Biden – in a rare moment where he actually took questions from the press – doubled down on his administration’s response to the original (false) story, telling reporters earlier today that the agents seen in the photos and videos would be punished.
“To see people treated like they did? Horses running them over? People being strapped? It’s outrageous,” he proclaimed. “I promise you, those people will pay.”
For those who missed it, watch:
Biden on the lie that border patrol were using whips on illegal immigrants at the border:
"To see people treated like they did? Horses running them over? People being strapped? It's outrageous. I promise you, those people will pay." pic.twitter.com/Jx79KoYTy9
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) September 24, 2021
Right. These people “will pay” for not doing the heinous thing were accused of doing. Totally makes sense.
Fast forward a couple of hours out from Biden’s vow to make CBP agents “pay” for something that didn’t happen, and we have fresh video from Associated Press photographer Sarah Blake Morgan from the time the photos were taken. At the beginning, we see one agent doing the “twirling” thing with his horse reins in close proximity to a migrant and just a few seconds later the same agent grabs a migrant’s shirt to try to get him to move. What do you not see in this clip? Whips, or anyone being whipped.
Watch:
Sorting through my footage from the border. I was in the river during the viral incident between a Haitian migrant and mounted CBP agent. It's shaky – but here's what I captured. pic.twitter.com/fnvxSU83tO
— Sarah Blake Morgan (@StorytellerSBM) September 24, 2021
— ☆ Kelly Fest ☆ (@kellyfest) September 24, 2021
When all the dust has cleared from this, in my opinion, the CBP agents in question should file a lawsuit against the Biden administration for the outrageous things they’ve said and done in response to the outrage mobs who turned a nothingburger story into being one about “modern-day slavery,” in some cases outright accusing the border patrol agents of being modern-day equivalents of brutal plantation overseers.
Irreparable harm has been done to them and their profession, all because this White House is more beholden to wokesters who see racism around every corner than they are the inconvenient facts. It’s a crying shame, especially when you consider that not one person in this administration has been held accountable and punished for something awful that did actually happen: the deadly U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan last month that killed seven innocent children and three adults.
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