After the Associated Press published an article that misleadingly gave the impression that the U.S. military may be kicking out large numbers of non-citizens, several MSNBC hosts freaked out over the hyped news, using words like "startling," "shocking," and "yet another low." MSNBC contributor and Washington Post deputy editorial page editor Ruth Marcus even suggested that "you have to hate immigrants" to make such a move.
The CBS Evening News on Friday even devoted a full report to the topic. But several FNC shows pointed out that the recent rejection of about 40 recruits is just a normal part of the recruitment process that also happens to American citizens.
On Friday morning, MSNBC's Ayman Mohyeldin called the AP report "startling" as he hosted First Look. He also covered the topic again later as he substitute hosted MSNBC Live with Hallie Jackson.
MSNBC Live with Stephanie Ruhle substitute host Chris Jansing called the move "shocking" and suggested that military leaders were being underhanded in not publicly announcing a policy change because they were breaking a promise not to cancel the program that allows noncitizens to join. Jansing: "Maybe that's why, because they made all these promises."
Host Ali Velshi declared that "The President's anti-immigrant policy has reached yet another low," and suggested that the Trump administration is breaking a promise because "they will not be eligible for the path to citizenship promised to them for their service."
Velshi even hinted that thousands of non-citizen servicemembers might be in danger of being kicked out as he noted the total number of non-citizens in the military, and recalled that the inclusion of non-citizrn has "been going on for more than 250 years."
Andrea Mitchell fretted that the Trump administration is trying to sneak through a policy change: "He's now very quietly -- the Pentagon has apparently taken steps to cancel the contracts of immigrants who have signed up in the military -- volunteered because of the path to citizenship. And they have been among our best troops."
Marcus shot back: "How much do you have to hate immigrants to do that?" MSNBC contributor Eugene Robinson -- also of the Washington Post -- suggested that immigrants are no longer wanted in America.
CNN and the broadcast networks mostly ignored the story, but Friday's CBS Evening News did run one full report, Introducing a report by correspondent Jericka Duncan, substitute anchor Bianna Golodryga intoned: "For more than a decade, the U.S. has offered immigrants who joined the military a fast track to citizenship, but now some immigrant recruits and reservists say they've been abruptly discharged without being given a clear reason."
Otherwise on the networks, the story was buried in a couple of briefs on the early morning CBS Morning News and NBC's Early Today.
But, on FNC, between Friday evening and Saturday morning, a number of shows have pointed out the misleading nature of the AP story.
