On Friday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a report through Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) that cleared the agents maligned and falsely accused of using horse reins as whips against illegal immigrants from Haiti trying to cross into the U.S. while also proposing punishment for using “poor judgement” and “vulgar” language.
But given that first part debunking the liberal media-led push to claim the illegals were whipped, the flagship morning and evening newscasts and ABC and NBC steered clear of this report and have yet to give it a second.
CBS Mornings and CBS Saturday Morning also ignored it, which left the CBS Evening News as the lone newscast to cover the findings for a measly 21 seconds (not including a nine-second tease). Even that, however, was tilted and chose not to exonerate the agents.
“Well, still ahead on tonight's CBS Evening News, the possible discipline for Border Patrol agents following last year's wild confrontation on the Rio Grande,” said fill-in anchor Jericka Duncan in a tease.
Having returned from a break, Duncan ignored the whipping fable and instead boasted that “four Border Patrol agents are facing potential disciplinary action following an incident on the Texas border last year.”
Framing it as a damning report, Duncan added that the “investigation concluded the agents right there used unnecessary force while blocking migrants trying to cross into Del Rio, Texas” while also having “threatened the migrants and tried to force them into the river.”
All six newscasts were more than enthusiastic about promulgating this dubious tale as fact from the beginning. As our Scott Whitlock chronicled in April, ABC had seven minute and nine seconds trashing the agents with CBS shows clocking in with three minutes and 12 seconds. NBC’s shows were third with three minutes and four seconds spewing this lie.
Over on the Fox News Channel’s Special Report, the indefatigable Bill Melugin showed viewers that there are still a few great journalists left, giving one minute and 38 seconds to the report (click “expand”):
MELUGIN: CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus announcing today that after a nearly 10 month investigation, the agency found no evidence supporting the false narrative that Haitian migrants were whipped by horseback Border Patrol Agents in Del Rio last summer.
CBP COMMISSIONER CHRIS MAGNUS: OPR found no evidence for Patrol Agents involved in this incident struck any person with their reins intentionally or otherwise.
MELUGIN: But CBP says they are sending discipline proposals to four of those horseback agents, despite them being previously cleared of criminal wrongdoing. CBP is now accusing them of unprofessional conduct and working in an unsafe manner, including using derogatory language and using the threat of force to drive migrants back into the Rio Grande. Multiple federal sources telling Fox News, their proposed discipline includes unpaid suspensions of up to 14 days. Days after that initial incident and before an investigation could play out, President Biden falsely accused the agents and promised consequences.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN [on 09/24/21]: People being strapped, it's outrageous. I promise you, those people will pay.
MELUGIN: Commissioner Magnus claims today those comments put no pressure on investigators.
MAGNUS: I have a high confidence in their work and I don't believe there's been any issues with outside influence.
And over at the Daily Caller, Jennie Taer wrote (click “expand”):
The first charge is for “poor judgment” for instructing noncitizens “to go back to Mexico, or words to that effect,” while the second is for “unsafe conduct” for maneuvering the agent’s horse “in a way that caused a noncitizen to fall backward into the Rio Grande River … thereby compromising the safety of the noncitizen, yourself, and your horse.”
(....)
“You knew or should have known that using your horse to block a noncitizen from exiting the water at the boat ramp created an unsafe situation, particularly for the noncitizen, but also for you and your horse,” the charges read.
“We consider that your misconduct received significant media attention and had a negative impact on the reputation of the Agency,” the charges added.
Instead of covering the report, ABC’s World News Tonight touted on Friday viral video of a small plane making an emergency landing on a North Carolina highway while NBC’s Today had a full segment Saturday touting what a chyron dubbed, “the healing power of cow hugging.”
To see the relevant CBS and FNC transcripts from July 8, click “expand.”
CBS Evening News
July 8, 2022
6:46 p.m. Eastern [TEASE][ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Border Fallout]
JERICKA DUNCAN: Well, still ahead on tonight's CBS Evening News, the possible discipline for Border Patrol agents following last year's wild confrontation on the Rio Grande.
(....)
6:48 p.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Border Fallout]
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Border Agents Could Face Discipline for Treatment of Migrants]
DUNCAN: Tonight, four Border Patrol agents are facing potential disciplinary action following an incident on the Texas border last year. An investigation concluded the agents right there used unnecessary force while blocking migrants trying to cross into Del Rio, Texas. Officials also found some agents threatened the migrants and tried to force them into the river. Hmm.
—
FNC’s Special Report
July 8, 2022
6:04 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: “Whipping” Incident; CBP Proposes Discipline for Texas Agents]
MIKE EMANUEL: The Biden administration is admitting that Texas Border Patrol Agents were falsely accused of whipping Haitian migrants last year, but are still referring for agents for discipline in connection with the viral incident. Correspondent Bill Melugin has details tonight from Eagle Pass.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: “No Evidence”; Del Rio Investigation Reveals No Migrants Whipped]
BILL MELUGIN: CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus announcing today that after a nearly 10 month investigation, the agency found no evidence supporting the false narrative that Haitian migrants were whipped by horseback Border Patrol Agents in Del Rio last summer.
CBP COMMISSIONER CHRIS MAGNUS: OPR found no evidence for Patrol Agents involved in this incident struck any person with their reins intentionally or otherwise.
MELUGIN: But CBP says they are sending discipline proposals to four of those horseback agents, despite them being previously cleared of criminal wrongdoing.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: “Unprofessional and Dangerous”; Four Horseback Agents Face Discipline for Behavior]
CBP is now accusing them of unprofessional conduct and working in an unsafe manner, including using derogatory language and using the threat of force to drive migrants back into the Rio Grande. Multiple federal sources telling Fox News, their proposed discipline includes unpaid suspensions of up to 14 days. Days after that initial incident and before an investigation could play out, President Biden falsely accused the agents and promised consequences.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN [on 09/24/21]: People being strapped, it's outrageous. I promise you, those people will pay.
MELUGIN: Commissioner Magnus claims today those comments put no pressure on investigators.
MAGNUS: I have a high confidence in their work and I don't believe there's been any issues with outside influence.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Eagle Pass Passway; Large Migrant Groups Pour Through Texas Border]
MELUGIN: In the meantime, massive numbers of migrants continue spilling across the Texas border. Today, we witnessed this group of more than 100 migrants crossing illegally into Eagle Pass. Late yesterday afternoon, we saw another group of 200 crossing illegally also in Eagle Pass. Almost all of them single adult men and on Wednesday, Fox News witness this single massive group of 536 migrants crossing illegally into Eagle Pass. Border Patrol in Del Rio sector reported it was the biggest group they've encountered.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Culican Warehouse Bust; Mexican Authorities Seize Historic Amounts of Fentanyl]
And Mike on top of all of this, Mexican authorities announced yesterday what they say is the biggest fentanyl seizure in history. They say they seized more than 1,200 pounds, more than a half ton of fentanyl at a warehouse in the northern city of Culiacan. That's enough lethal doses of the drug to potentially kill up to 270 million people. We'll send it back to you.
EMANUEL: Staggering number. Bill Melugin live in Eagle Pass tonight. Bill, thanks very much.
