On Thursday, CBS This Morning tried to convince viewers that the illegal immigration crisis at the U.S. southern border was being caused by climate change instead of Biden administration policies that were encouraging migrants to make the dangerous journey. The left-wing environmental agenda was conveniently used to deflect blame from the President’s mishandling of the unfolding humanitarian disaster.
“This week we’ve also been showing you the roots of the border crisis, why people make the dangerous journey to the U.S. in the first place,” co-host Anthony Mason touted as he teed up a report “from Guatemala on how climate change is forcing many into a difficult choice.” The headline on screen blared: “Fleeing A Dangerous Climate; Floods & Drought Worsen Poverty in Guatemala, Driving Border Crisis.”
While highlighting the plight of Guatemalan farmer Ruben Che, correspondent Manuel Bojorquez stressed: “This valley turned into a lake after back-to-back hurricanes slashed the region last year, with intensity and rainfall believed to be magnified by climate change.” The reporter noted how the man’s crops being ruined by the flooding meant that “The sign drawing his attention now is a smuggler’s, advertising a trip to the U.S.”
Bojorquez never asked Che whether lax immigration policies of the Biden administration were also serving as incentive to illegally enter the U.S.
Instead, the correspondent turned to University of the Valley Guatemala climate scientist Edwin Castellanos, who sounded the alarm: “Climate change is coming on top of previous problems like poverty, food insecurity....The problem is that not only we are seeing extreme events in terms of too much rain, we are also seeing the opposite in terms of too little rain.”
Bojorquez further hyped the climate angle:
He pointed us to his research showing a dramatic spike in severe weather events here over the last decade, compared to those past. [To Castellanos] You know, there’s always a big debate around climate change and some people say they don’t believe in it. But you say climate change is a factor that is driving people to the United States?
Castellanos replied: “Yes, I think that if you ask most people here in Guatemala, it would be that most people believe in climate change because they have seen the change in the climate.”
After the taped report concluded, liberal co-host Gayle King admitted that she “never made a connection...between climate change and immigration,” until just that moment, after seeing her own network’s biased coverage of the subject.
Just a week earlier, CBS completely ignored polling showing Biden had 57% disapproval for his handling of the border crisis. Now the network wants to pin it all on mother nature.
The attempt to shift blame away from Biden was brought to viewers by Panera Bread and Hyundai. You can fight back by letting these advertisers know what you think of them sponsoring such content.
Here is a full transcript of the April 8 segment:
7:07 AM ET
ANTHONY MASON: This week we’ve also been showing you the roots of the border crisis, why people make the dangerous journey to the U.S. in the first place. Manuel Bojorquez reports from Guatemala on how climate change is forcing many into a difficult choice.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Fleeing A Dangerous Climate; Floods & Drought Worsen Poverty in Guatemala, Driving Border Crisis]
MANUEL BOJORQUEZ: It’s written in the hillsides as far as Ruben Che is concerned. The crops that have supported generations of his family in the Guatemalan highlands are gone. They’ve never seen it like this before. So this would be full of leaves and instead it’s dry. And this is the coffee bean. No good.
The coffee and cardamom stood no chance. This valley turned into a lake after back-to-back hurricanes slashed the region last year, with intensity and rainfall believed to be magnified by climate change. Like many here, lured by billboards advertising a farmer’s dream, he took out a loan to get the operation running again, but nothing’s grown.
So you have a debt, you have no way of repaying it, because your crops are ruined. The sign drawing his attention now is a smuggler’s, advertising a trip to the U.S.
EDWIN CASTELLANOS: Climate change is coming on top of previous problems like poverty, food insecurity –
BOJORQUEZ: Edwin Castellanos studies climate change at the University of the Valley of Guatemala.
CASTELLANOS: The problem is that not only we are seeing extreme events in terms of too much rain, we are also seeing the opposite in terms of too little rain.
BOJORQUEZ: Parts of the country are experiencing severe drought.
CASTELLANOS: We have seen a huge increase in extreme events, including flooding, storms, but also drought.
BOJORQUEZ: He pointed us to his research showing a dramatic spike in severe weather events here over the last decade, compared to those past. You know, there’s always a big debate around climate change and some people say they don’t believe in it. But you say climate change is a factor that is driving people to the United States?
CASTELLANOS: Uh-huh. Yes, I think that if you ask most people here in Guatemala, it would be that most people believe in climate change because they have seen the change in the climate.
BOJORQUEZ: What can be done to keep people here?
CASTELLANOS: Well, basically, these are families who have lived in extreme poverty for many years. And so they are not really expecting big changes. It’s more change, if more amounts of help will make a huge difference for these families.
BOJORQUEZ: Ruben says he doesn’t want to leave his wife and 5-year-old son, but he struggles to envision a future for them on the only hillsides he’s ever known. For CBS This Morning, Manuel Bojorquez, Guatemala City.
MASON: So many people there making a decision out of pure desperation.
GAYLE KING: I never made a connection, though, until Manny’s report, between climate change and immigration.
MASON: Right.
KING: And clearly you can see that.
TONY DOKOUPIL: Yeah.
KING: And his little boy with his Batman suit – Batman t-shirt.
DOKOUPIL: Yeah, it’s universal.
KING: Some things are just universal.
