Award-winning Fox News reporter Bill Melugin’s coverage of the U.S.-Mexico border crisis has struck a nerve with President Joe Biden’s White House — and even White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is upset his scoops are getting so much attention, according to Politico.
When Melguin broke the story that illegal immigrants were being dropped off in front of Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence in Washington, D.C.
That left Jean-Pierre reportedly fuming.
She said that the Biden administration should have been given a warning from DeSantis’ team.
“The fact that Fox News — and not the Department of Homeland Security, the city, or local NGOs — were alerted about a plan to leave migrants, including children, on the side of a busy D.C. street makes clear that this is just a cruel, premeditated political stunt,” she complained recently.
Melguin has broken several stories on the open border with Mexico this year, many of which have gone viral.
Inside the White House, there’s growing frustration with Melguin’s reporting on the border crisis… and his growing popularity.
Critics have fired back, pointing out that a record two million illegal immigrants have been apprehended on the border this year.
That number doesn’t count those that escaped, like Melguin recorded in the video below —
BREAKING: One of the most massive single groups we have ever witnessed cross illegally at the border is crossing into Eagle Pass, TX right now. The line of people went so far into the trees it’s hard to get a count. Hundreds upon hundreds. Coyotes guiding them in water. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/ZjZIygarAv
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) July 13, 2022
Politico wrote —
In recent days, several current and former White House and administration officials expressed to West Wing Playbook their increasing frustration with his on-air coverage, arguing that there is an alarmist quality to it, designed to feed political narratives rather than illuminate the actual issues feeding the migrant flow. Last week, he was the first to break the news that Florida Gov. RON DESANTIS chartered two planes to transport 50 Venezuelan migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard to make a political statement about immigration. He followed up that story with appearances on Fox News opinion primetime — which some of Fox’s straight news reporters notably avoid — and a series of exclusives on DeSantis’ escalating fight with the Biden White House over migrants.
Melguin himself has taken notice of their anger.
.@politico reports that the White House has become “irritated” with me & our @FoxNews team’s reporting at the border. https://t.co/SuJvqzgbey pic.twitter.com/fZiRK46ZRp
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) September 20, 2022