On Monday’s edition of New Day, co-hosts John Berman and Erica Hill conducted a panel discussing the current illegal immigration crisis. The panel quickly moved from an actual discussion on immigration to a ludicrous grandstanding session where contributors took their turn to call President Trump racist and score publicity points.
First, CNN Senior Political Analyst, John Avlon accused the Trump administration of racism, saying that “there are advisers who seem to have a real issue not just with illegal immigration as you say but with non-white immigration.” This has been a common and baseless talking point that many have come to expect from extreme Democrats and the airwaves of MSNBC, but it being stated as a matter of fact by a CNN political analyst shows how leftists hysteria has run amuck in the halls of CNN.
Not to be outdone by his fellow panelist, CNN Political Analyst and Playboy journalist, Brian Karem decided to step the rhetoric up a notch. You may remember Karem from his recent stunt of berating White House Press Secretary, Sarah Sanders, during a White House press briefing. Karem said:
If these were white people instead of brown people, we would not be having this conversation. The simple fact of the matter is, it's who is coming across the border. You don't see this type of heated rhetoric or debate about people who have come across the border and have extended their welcome past their visas and are now illegal immigrants from other countries where they are white. That's a problem this administration has, the entire optics of the situation. And again, speaks to the ignorance and the complexities of this situation. And at the bottom line, John nailed it, this president wants to be King Donald Trump not president Donald Trump. And really doesn't care too much about how the constitutional separation of powers takes place. He wants to be able to have an edict and go forward, and it doesn't work that way.
Not only did Karem double down on Avlon’s racism cries, but he decided to add on calls of tyranny from the Trump administration. Where was this level of outrage when Barack Obama not only said he would act unilaterally, but did act unilaterally with his pen and phone when Congress wouldn’t produce the legislation he wanted. It is important to look out for attempts at executive overreach, however, the double standard and hysteria pushed by CNN and other mainstream networks only serves to further polarize and divide this country.
A transcript of the relevant segment is below.
New Day with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman
6/25/18
7:12:21 - 7:14:30
JOHN AVLON: Look, the president views the Constitution and Congress as impediments to what he would like to get done. And there are advisers who seem to have a real issue not just with illegal immigration as you say but with non-white immigration. And these are demographic issues and political strategies coming to a head. A.B. Talked about incompetence and chaos. Well, there’s also cruelty. And that's why this issue is not playing the way the president would like. He can't make it disappear. This is a fundamental conflict between our values and policies. And when people see children crying and screaming, separated from their parents and put in cages without any receipts, any ability to connect them, that violates them. And the choice is not between open borders and reuniting these families. That’s a false choice. So, the President and his administration has to get around dealing with this because the old strategy, the traditional strategy, distract, deflect and divide is not going to trump, pun unintended, crying separated children away from their families.
BRIAN KAREM: There is no way that this president can get his head around this particular situation, John. He has determined and shown us that it is impossible for him to do it.
JOHN BERMAN: Well, except I think what John is saying, and I think there is some evidence to this, is he wants fewer people coming from Mexico or south --
KAREM: Exactly.
BERMAN: Legally or otherwise. Legally or otherwise.
KAREM: You're absolutely right. If these were white people instead of brown people, we would not be having this conversation. The simple fact of the matter is, it's who is coming across the border. You don't see this type of heated rhetoric or debate about people who have come across the border and have extended their welcome past their visas and are now illegal immigrants from other countries where they are white. That's a problem this administration has, the entire optics of the situation. And again, speaks to the ignorance and the complexities of this situation. And at the bottom line, John nailed it, this president wants to be King Donald Trump not president Donald Trump. And really doesn't care too much about how the constitutional separation of powers takes place. He wants to be able to have an edict and go forward, and it doesn't work that way.
