During an interview Friday afternoon with Texas Congressman John Culberson – who was calling in from his flooded out district while trying to help storm victims – MSNBC host Craig Melvin amazingly devoted half the segment to grilling the Republican on news that the President may rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program for young illegal immigrants. The anchor even went so far as to label an end to the policy as a “catastrophe” on par with Hurricane Harvey.
Melvin pressed: “Congressman, in the past few minutes there’s been some news made on DACA, perhaps you’ve heard....According to Pew Research, there are roughly 120,000 folks in Texas covered by DACA, second only to California. What would you advise President Trump to do?”
Culberson voiced his support for the “rule of law” and predicted that any change would still provide “flexibility in that program for kids that have contributed in a great way to the country, to society, to the military.” Melvin followed up: “So it sounds like, to be clear, just going back to my original question about what you would advise President Trump to do with regards to DACA, it sounds like you would advise him not to touch it? Would that be your advice? Is that safe to say?”
While being forced to repeat his original answer, the Congressman could be heard giving directions to first responders: “You’ve got to turn left here, not in – oh, yeah, u-turn. I'm sorry.” He then told Melvin:
I’m sorry, I’m trying to get additional National Guard troops deployed out to one of my neighborhoods out here, I’m a bit distracted....We’ve got people in houses out here I’m gonna try to go get out and I’m trying to get these Guard troops deployed. I’m a bit distracted. We’re in the midst of this disaster and I’m just not – we are all Americans. There are no Republicans, there are no Democrats. We’re taking care of America.
Melvin insensitively proclaimed: “Listen, Congressman, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Although I think there are some who would argue that one million Americans at the risk of being deported could also potentially be a bit of a catastrophe, as well.” “So forgive me for spending some time asking you about DACA there at the end,” he snidely added.
The biased segment was brought to viewers by Liberty Mutual, Midas, and Egg-Lands Best.
Here is a transcript of the September 1 exchange:
1:32 PM ET
(...)
CRAIG MELVIN: Congressman, in the past few minutes there’s been some news made on DACA, perhaps you’ve heard. President Trump says he’s going to have a decision, if not this afternoon, then certainly this weekend. You’ll recall back in February this president promised that his plan would show, quote, “great heart.” According to Pew Research, there are roughly 120,000 folks in Texas covered by DACA, second only to California. What would you advise President Trump to do?
REP. JOHN CULBERSON [R-TX]: Well, first thing I want to be sure is I’m confident MSNBC’s reported that President Trump made a $1 million personal donation to the hurricane victims of Harvey.
MELVIN: We have –
CULBERSON: Have you guys reported that?
MELVIN: We have been reporting it all morning.
CULBERSON: That’s great. That’s great. Because we’re all Americans in this fight. We all of us respect the rule of law. It’s vital that all of us in this nation work together to help our neighbors to support our friends. And the best way to do that day-to-day is to support the rule of law and ensure that our laws are respected, our men and women in uniform, whether they be on our streets as police officers or in the military overseas, that we respect the flag and men and women in uniform who protect us.
MELVIN: Congressman –
CULBERSON: And the President is simply following through on his promise to ensure that the laws of America are enforced and respected. And we honor all of our first responders and law enforcement officers. When the law is enforced and the streets are nice and quiet and safe, that's the best way to secure a good economy.
MELVIN: Congressman – Congressman with all –
CULBERSON: And I’m confident the President is gonna do the right thing when it comes to these young people that have been here – brought as children. I’m confident we’re going to see some, you know, flexibility in that program for kids that have contributed in a great way to the country, to society, to the military. There’s always exceptions to the broad general rule when you pitch in and help your nation.
MELVIN: So it sounds like, to be clear, just going back to my original question about what you would advise President Trump to do with regards to DACA, it sounds like you would advise him not to touch it? Would that be your advice? Is that safe to say?
CULBERSON: I think the President needs to – his job is to enforce the laws of the United States with equal protection and due process for all – that there’s going to be exceptions and individuals who have, for example, served in our military who have put their lives on the line for this country. I think there’s – you’ll see the President work out a way to provide exceptions, perhaps, for people who have contributed to society in other ways. You want to look to each individual family situation differently. That’s what the courts are there for, to make sure that you’re taking into account all of the various factors that are involved. Is this, you know, student exceptional? Are these people making an exceptional contribution?
You’ve got to turn left here, not in – oh, yeah, u-turn. I'm sorry. I’m sorry, I’m trying to get additional National Guard troops deployed out to one of my neighborhoods out here, I’m a bit distracted.
MELVIN: That’s okay.
CULBERSON: We just got some extra Harris County Sheriff’s deputies out here. We’ve got people in houses out here I’m gonna try to go get out and I’m trying to get these Guard troops deployed. I’m a bit distracted. We’re in the midst of this disaster and I’m just not – we are all Americans. There are no Republicans, there are no Democrats. We’re taking care of America.
MELVIN: Listen, Congressman, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Although I think there are some who would argue that one million Americans at the risk of being deported could also potentially be a bit of a catastrophe, as well. So forgive me for spending some time asking you about DACA there at the end. But I appreciate your candor.
(...)
