Liberal Senator Elizabeth Warren offered a painful, awkward response when pressed by CNN’s John Berman on the murder of an Iowa college student by an illegal immigrant. Will the other networks, including CNN, follow up on this gaffe? Talking to Berman on Wednesday about the killing of Mollie Tibbetts, Warren insisted that we need to focus on the “real problems,” such as illegals being separated from their parents.
Kudos to the New Day host for at least bringing up an uncomfortable topic for liberals: “A person has been charged with it. This person is an undocumented immigrant. Mike Pence and the President have suggested the immigration laws need to be stronger so that people like this man, who was accused of this murder, were not in the country. Your reaction?”
Warren awkwardly responded:
I'm so sorry for the family here and I know this is hard not only for the family, but the people in her community, the people throughout Iowa. But one of the things we have to remember is we need an immigration system that is effective, that focuses on where real problems are.
The killing of a young woman, who had her whole life ahead of her, isn’t a “real problem”? Warren callouslly continued:
Last month, I went down to the border and I saw where children had been taken away from their mothers, I met with those mothers who had been lied to, who didn't know where their children were, who hadn’t have a chance to talk to their was no plan for how they would be be reunified with their children. I think we need immigration laws that focus on people who pose a real threat and I don't think mamas and babies are the place we should be spending our resources.
Though Berman deserves credit for bringing the topic up, he offered no follow up to this rather shocking answer. Instead, he closed out the interview: “Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts, thanks for being with us this morning.”
CNN later in the day did not replay the interview or portray it as a gaffe. Will the networks cover Warren’s answer? MSNBC on Tuesday dismissed the Tibbetts murder as some “girl in Iowa,” a topic that only “Fox News is talking about."
A transcript of the exchange is below. Click “expand” to read more.
New Day
8/22/18
8:23
JOHN BERMAN: I want to get one last question in here because it’s a story, a very important story in the news that has to do with Mollie Tibbetts, the young woman in Iowa who was murdered. Her body believed to be found yesterday. A person has been charged with it. This person is an undocumented immigrant. Mike Pence and the President have suggested the immigration laws need to be stronger so that people like this man, who was accused of this murder, were not in the country. Your reaction?SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN: You know — I'm so sorry for the family here and I know this is hard not only for the family, but the people in her community, the people throughout Iowa. But one of the things we have to remember is we need an immigration system that is effective, that focuses on where real problems are.
Last month, I went down to the border and I saw where children had been taken away from their mothers, I met with those mothers who had been lied to, who didn't know where their children were, who hadn’t have a chance to talk to their was no plan for how they would be be reunified with their children. I think we need immigration laws that focus on people who pose a real threat and I don't think mamas and babies are the place we should be spending our resources. Separating a mama from her baby does not make this country safer.
BERMAN: Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts, thanks for being with us this morning.
