While railing against California laws that protect illegal immigrant criminals, President Donald Trump referred to MS-13 gang members as “animals” — and Democratic leaders pounced.
They accused Trump of being a racist and said he thinks immigrants are subhuman — and the mainstream media was very happy to play along.
In a meeting with California leaders, Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims expressed her frustrations to Trump over the federal government’s handling of violent criminal illegal immigrants, and cited MS-13 gang members as an example.
“We have people coming into the country, or trying to come in — and we’re stopping a lot of them,” Trump said in reponse. “You wouldn’t believe how bad these people are. These aren’t people. These are animals.”
MS-13 is a violent El Salvadorian gang that is behind thousands of cases of sex trafficking, rape, and murder throughout the United States in recent years — and Democrats rushed to defend them.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, responded on Twitter to the president, saying, “When all of our great-great-grandparents came to America they weren’t ‘animals,’ and these people aren’t either.”
And House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi said, “Every day that you think you’ve seen it all, along comes another manifestation of why their policies are so inhumane.”
They weren’t alone. According to Mediaite — a left-leaning news outlet — more than 11 major mainstream media outlets purposefully took Trump’s comments out-of-context as a way to attack him.
CNN, The New York Times, ABC News, CBS News, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, The New York Daily News and more all jumped on the phrase, sharing the soundbite without context.
Watch the videos below. Notice how every mainstream organization removed the question Trump was answering that refers to MS-13.
Without fail, they each report Trump was referring to “some immigrants” — not illegal, violent gang members — as animals. Then, watch the unedited video below it that includes the question that Trump was asked.
No wonder no one trusts the mainstream media anymore.
"We're taking people out of the country. You wouldn't believe how bad these people are. These aren't people — these are animals." During a meeting with public officials who oppose California’s sanctuary policies, Pres. Trump criticized US immigration laws https://t.co/2KcrIhMnyR pic.twitter.com/SsmCdaofHb
— CNN (@CNN) May 17, 2018
Pres. Trump refers to some who cross the border illegally as 'animals,' not people. "You wouldn't believe how bad these people are."
The president was holding a roundtable discussion with California elected officials who oppose the state's sanctuary law. https://t.co/YfrZxC89CB pic.twitter.com/uvhKp9vwrO
— ABC News (@ABC) May 17, 2018
"These aren't people. These are animals." President Trump used the harsh rhetoric to describe some undocumented immigrants during a California "sanctuary state" roundtable. https://t.co/mOwXilRtwE pic.twitter.com/eYC6XhtR57
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 16, 2018
"We're taking people out of the country — you wouldn't believe how bad these people are. These aren't people. These are animals."
President Trump says the U.S. has "the dumbest laws on immigration in the world" during a roundtable on sanctuary cities. pic.twitter.com/SHRtgwQvYj
— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 16, 2018
President Trump during California #SanctuaryCities Roundtable: "These aren't people. These are animals."
Full video here: https://t.co/alyS47LI5V pic.twitter.com/ifXicTHHP0
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 16, 2018
Trump lashed out at undocumented immigrants during a White House meeting, calling those trying to breach the country’s borders “animals” https://t.co/aQNeu29T6e pic.twitter.com/ogrFKaWyDZ
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 16, 2018
Without context that looks pretty bad!
So, here’s the question and the president’s full answer, presented without edits —
See it for yourself. Take one minute to watch the full context of @realDonaldTrump’s comment on MS-13 members. pic.twitter.com/JO7udI9Lyu
— GOP (@GOP) May 17, 2018