In a hostile exchange with Attorney General Jeff Sessions on ABC’s Good Morning America on Friday, substitute co-host Amy Robach first demanded that the Justice Department chief respond to a local Democratic politician in New York accusing him of being anti-immigrant and then put words his mouth to make it seem like the smear was true.
After noting that Sessions would be “going to Long Island today to speak about violent crime and gangs,” Robach touted how he would be “greeted” by “some protesters” and seized on a nasty statement from an obscure local official: “Assemblyman Phil Ramos says that the issues around gangs are complex and that making this a part of the debate about immigration, quote, makes – ‘this is an attempt by the Trump administration and Mr. Sessions to justify their belief and their message that immigrants, and young immigrants, are people who intrinsically have a propensity for violence.’ What’s your response to that?”
Moments later, she followed up by again parroting the liberal talking points: “Mr. Ramos is saying that basically you’re implying that the fact that you're an undocumented immigrant makes you more likely to commit a crime. Do you believe that?” Sessions replied: “What I’m saying is that we’re going to tell the truth. And the truth is many of the people involved in gangs in America today, much of the drugs that are being distributed in America today is being distributed by illegal aliens.”
Robach immediately tried twist his words, suggesting that the Attorney General was somehow anti-immigrant simply because he cited crime statistics: “You said you’re here to tell the truth. So you believe the truth is that if you’re an undocumented immigrant, you’re more likely to be a criminal than if you’re just a natural born American citizen?”
Sessions hit back: “I have not said that. Amy, I didn’t say that.” Robach claimed that she was “just trying to let you clarify.” He responded: “...what I’m saying is that those who are here unlawfully, many of them are undocumented aliens who commit crimes, should be tried like anyone else and deported.”
The hosts of CBS This Morning also grilled Sessions on immigration policy. Norah O’Donnell used good news about a decrease in illegal immigration to bash President Trump’s border security plan:
You pointed out the 70 percent drop in illegal crossings. Why do you need a border wall?...You’ve got a Republican Congress. I mean, this is so rare and they won’t even include new funding for this wall and not one Republican lawmaker on those four border states supports a border wall, not even in your own party.
Referring to Trump’s criticism of a federal judge who recently blocked the administration’s attempt to crackdown on sanctuary cities, fellow co-host Charlie Rose fretted: “When the President criticizes the Ninth Circuit in significant ways, is that a good idea? Is it appropriate for the President to consider – I mean to criticize the Ninth Circuit?...is it right for the President to do that?”
Sessions explained: “The greatest threat to the independence of the judiciary is if judges become more political. People cease to believe they're deciding opinions based on law and the fact.”
During his Friday appearance on NBC’s Today, the Attorney General was not asked a single question about illegal immigration. Instead, co-host Savannah Guthrie pestered him about the Russia investigation, despite the fact that he recused himself:
GUTHRIE: The President just recently gave an interview and he talked about this investigation from which you have recused yourself. And he said, “Russia is a faux story. It’s made up. Democrats lost an election and they used the Russia story as a way of justifying how they lost. It’s a fake story.” Your Department of Justice is, in fact, investigating whether or not the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. Is it a fake story or is it a legitimate investigation?
SESSIONS: Look, that’s a matter to be decided by the new deputy that was confirmed, the Deputy Attorney General, yesterday, it will fall on his lot since I recused myself to make those decisions. And I’m not going to comment about the case. And you know I can’t talk about that case.
GUTHRIE: True, but is it a legitimate area of investigation?
SESSIONS: I’m not going to go into that. I’ll let the officials who have responsibility for the case discuss it.
GUTHRIE: Do you agree with the President that it’s a fake story, fake investigation?
SESSIONS: I’ll let others comment on that case.
After Guthrie cited CIA Director Mike Pompeo labeling WikiLeaks “a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia,” fellow co-host Matt Lauer pressed Sessions: “...it does beg the question then, would it bother you that candidate Trump would say something like, ‘I love WikiLeaks,’ during the campaign?”
Sessions began to answer: “Well, they were putting out information that – political information that I’m sure he valued. But it is a – ” Like Robach, Lauer interrupted and tried to put words in the Attorney General’s mouth: “So it’s okay to embrace that kind of an organization if they’re helping you politically?”
Sessions corrected him: “No, I’m not saying that. There are limits on what you can do to take people’s private information off their computers. There are certainly limits of what you can do to share intelligence top secret information with our adversaries.”
Here are some of the questions put to Sessions on the April 28 GMA:
7:09 AM ET
(...)
AMY ROBACH: Alright, you are going to Long Island today to speak about violent crime and gangs. Tell us what the purpose of your visit is and what your message will be.
(...)
ROBACH: You’re expected to be greeted in Long Island by some protesters. New York Assemblyman Phil Ramos says that the issues around gangs are complex and that making this a part of the debate about immigration, quote, makes – “this is an attempt by the Trump administration and Mr. Sessions to justify their belief and their message that immigrants, and young immigrants, are people who intrinsically have a propensity for violence.” What’s your response to that?
(...)
ROBACH: Mr. Ramos is saying that basically you’re implying that the fact that you're an undocumented immigrant makes you more likely to commit a crime. Do you believe that?
JEFF SESSIONS: What I’m saying is that we’re going to tell the truth. And the truth is many of the people involved in gangs in America today, much of the drugs that are being distributed in America today is being distributed by illegal aliens. They’re coming mostly from Mexico. But these – many of these gangs now are Central American gangs. Many of them did come as unaccompanied minors. That does appear to be the case.ROBACH: You said you’re here to tell the truth. So you believe the truth is that if you’re an undocumented immigrant, you’re more likely to be a criminal than if you’re just a natural born American citizen?
SESSIONS: I have not said that. Amy, I didn’t say that.
ROBACH: I was just trying to let you clarify.
SESSIONS: Well, I’m just saying – what I’m saying is that those who are here unlawfully, many of them are undocumented aliens who commit crimes, should be tried like anyone else and deported.
(...)
