On Friday, NBC’s Today show bemoaned President Trump denouncing illegal immigration on the campaign trail ahead of the midterm elections, claiming he was going “all-in on the fear factor” before voters went to the polls on Tuesday. Of course just days earlier, all three networks were touting the progress of a caravan of thousands of migrants from Central America heading for the U.S. border.
“Fear and voting....With four days to go until the midterms, President Trump goes all-in on the fear factor, claiming a caravan of migrants is getting ready to invade the U.S.,” co-host Savannah Guthrie proclaimed at the top of the morning show. Minutes later, Chief White House Correspondent Hallie Jackson warned: “Expect his focus to be much of what we’ve seen over these last few days, a big-time push on immigration, with his critics raising concerns the President is fearmongering.”
Jackson repeated the narrative of the day: “...the President pumped up his supporters and his rhetoric on immigration overnight in Missouri, amping up the fear factor.” As evidence, she cited Trump’s rhetoric and an ad he promote on his Twitter feed:
The President’s also facing fallout over a racially divisive web video he tweeted to his 50 million followers....The video links a twice-deported Mexican immigrant convicted of murdering two police officers to Democrats, without evidence....To critics, it’s a call back to the infamous Willie Horton attack ads considered a low point in the 1988 presidential campaign.
The Willie Horton ad has long been used by the liberal media as a cudgel to accuse Republicans of racism.
Jackson’s report echoed a similar segment on ABC’s Good Morning America, where correspondent Cecilia Vega accused Trump of being detached from “reality” as he made his “closing argument a doomsday scenario in which America is overrun by undocumented immigrants.”
Friday’s CBS This Morning also fretted over Trump’s rhetoric on the topic, as correspondent Major Garrett condemned the President for making “exaggerated claims about the migrant threat.” At the beginning of the segment, co-host Bianna Golodryga tried to downplay the migrant caravan from Central America:
Well, President Trump is still making immigration his top issue in the midterms. A caravan the President has targeted for several weeks walked about 40 miles yesterday to the town of Matias Romero in southern Mexico. It’s made up of about 3,600 Central American migrants, that’s half the size it was when it entered Mexico. The caravan is more than 800 miles south of the closest border crossing in Brownsville, Texas. It could also head to Tijuana, which is just over 2,100 miles away. It’s not likely to reach the U.S. border until December at the earliest.
Despite all three networks working to dismiss the thousands approaching the U.S. border, just one week ago, the same morning shows were hyping the story. Reporters actually cheered the caravan “defying the President” and proceeding to the U.S. “undeterred.”
While the media have been eager to seize on anything Trump says or does that may be deemed offensive, journalists have shown little interest in holding Democrats accountable for similar offensive rhetoric and actions throughout the midterm campaign.
Here is a full transcript of the November 2 report on NBC’s Today show:
7:02 AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Let’s start with politics, the final push now. These are the final days before those all-important midterms.
HODA KOTB: Yeah, both parties are pulling out all the stops with just four days to go. In addition to solo events, President Trump and Vice President Pence will make three appearances together this weekend.
GUTHRIE: Democrats are busy too. On the heels of Oprah’s big push on Thursday, former President Obama is heading to Georgia today, and he will visit three more states in the coming days.
We’ve got it all covered. Let’s start with NBC’s Chief White House Correspondent Hallie Jackson. She’s in West Virginia this morning. Hallie, good morning.
HALLIE JACKSON: Hey, Savannah, good morning to you. And starting here in West Virginia, the President will pick up the pace, kicking off multiple stops per day from now until Election Day. Expect his focus to be much of what we’ve seen over these last few days, a big-time push on immigration, with his critics raising concerns the President is fearmongering.
And while the political world’s state of play may be getting all the buzz now, overnight in Missouri, the President lamented that was not the case after two major stories in the last week or so captured the country’s attention.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Migrants and the Midterms; Trump Doubles Down on Border Battle]
President Trump with his mind on the midterms, suggesting the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh and the mail bombs sent to high-profile politicians served as a distraction to voters.
DONALD TRUMP: We did have two maniacs stop a momentum that was incredible, because for seven days, nobody talked about the elections. It stopped the tremendous momentum.
JACKSON: Those comments coming as the President pumped up his supporters and his rhetoric on immigration overnight in Missouri, amping up the fear factor.
TRUMP: If you don’t want America to be overrun by masses of illegal aliens and giant caravans, you better vote Republican.
JACKSON: Earlier in the day, the President startling some by suggesting migrants could be shot if they throw rocks at the military.
TRUMP: I told them, consider it a rifle. When they throw rocks like they did at the Mexico military and police, I say consider it a rifle.
JACKSON: Now, the President’s pitching his new plan to deny asylum automatically to migrants who try to enter the U.S. illegally between ports of entry.
TRUMP: Illegal aliens will no longer get a free pass into our country by lodging meritless claims in seeking asylum.
JACKSON: If the President signs that executive order, it would almost certainly set up a legal battle, since the move would violate U.S. and international law allowing refugees who qualify for asylum to obtain it, whether they arrive legally or not.
The President’s also facing fallout over a racially divisive web video he tweeted to his 50 million followers.
TRUMP: Put it on social media because I’m being nice. And they said, “Well, what do you want?” “Well, I want a pardon, I want a pardon?” “Oh, you want a pardon, what did you do? What did you do? What did you do?” “Um, murder.”
JACKSON: The video links a twice-deported Mexican immigrant convicted of murdering two police officers to Democrats, without evidence.
GOV. JOHN KASICH [R-OH]: It’s completely and totally inappropriate. There are ethical lines that you should not cross.
JACKSON: To critics, it’s a call back to the infamous Willie Horton attack ads considered a low point in the 1988 presidential campaign. Thirty years later, it’s not the White House, but control of Congress at stake. And the President’s blitzing key battlegrounds to help Republicans hang on to as many seats as they can.
GUTHRIE: So, Hallie, with this push on immigration it seems to be all about that base for the President?
JACKSON: It really is, Savannah. And if you look at the numbers, that is what puts it into perspective here. Recent polling shows about three quarters of the GOP believe that the issue of illegal immigration is a very big deal, but only about 19% of Democrats agree. So in other words, the President’s focus right now on immigration is all about making sure that Republicans who see things his way get out and vote on Tuesday. Savannah?
GUTHRIE: Hallie Jackson on the campaign trail in West Virginia this morning. Thank you.
Here is a full transcript of the November 2 report on CBS This Morning:
7:07 AM ET
BIANNA GOLDRYGA: Well, President Trump is still making immigration his top issue in the midterms. A caravan the President has targeted for several weeks walked about 40 miles yesterday to the town of Matias Romero in southern Mexico.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Caravan’s Progress; 3,600 Won’t Reach U.S. Until at Least December]
It’s made up of about 3,600 Central American migrants, that’s half the size it was when it entered Mexico. The caravan is more than 800 miles south of the closest border crossing in Brownsville, Texas. It could also head to Tijuana, which is just over 2,100 miles away. It’s not likely to reach the U.S. border until December at the earliest.
GAYLE KING: The President is taking new steps to block that caravan from entering this country. He campaigned in Missouri after moving to limit where migrants can apply for asylum and suggesting that border violence could be met with gunfire. He says if they throw rocks, officers should feel okay about shooting back with bullets. The President visits West Virginia and Indiana later today, part of an eight-state swing in the final days of the campaign.
Major Garrett covered last night’s rally in Columbia and joins us with more on that story. Major, good morning.
MAJOR GARRETT: Good morning to you. The president hit the main midterm closing argument themes, immigration, tax cuts, and the Supreme Court, but at times, the speech just frankly rambled. At one point, the President blamed news coverage of what he called “maniacs,” by that he meant the anti-Semitic gunman who killed 11 at that Pittsburgh synagogue and the suspect now charged with sending pipe bombs to prominent Democrats, of blunting Republican midterm political momentum. Back on immigration, the President called for tighter border security and he also offered some exaggerated claims about the migrant threat.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Asylum Tactics; President Pushes to Change Process, Questions Motives]
DONALD TRUMP: You know we called up the military because we’re not gonna let people come into our country, would you look at that, illegally. Not gonna happen.
GARRETT: President Trump told an overflow crowd in central Missouri he would seal the southern border in advance of a Honduran migrant caravan still weeks away.
TRUMP: People have really galvanized over this. We want people to come into our country, but they have to come into our country legally and through merit. And through merit.
GARRETT: Earlier at the White House, the President said he would use executive power to require migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. to apply only at ports of entry, not at the border, where they can apply now.
TRUMP: We’re building massive numbers of tents and we will hold them in tents.
GARRETT: The U.S. processed nearly 330,000 asylum claims last year, also most double the number two years earlier.
TRUMP: These migrants are not legitimate asylum seekers.
GARRETT: According to the Department of Homeland Security, the number of credible fear or persecution or torture cases have also reached record highs in recent years, up by nearly 70% between 2015 and 2016. The President also said active duty soldiers would return fire if migrants threw rocks at them.
TRUMP: We will consider that a firearm, because there’s not much difference when you get hit in the face with a rock.
GARRETT: In a statement, the Pentagon said it “will not discuss hypothetical situations, but our forces always have the inherent right of defense.” That Pentagon statement went on to, quote, “emphasize,” unquote, that the military will support border patrol and not participate in any law enforcement activities.
Back on the President’s asylum moves, critics accused him of lying about the hardships that asylum seekers actually face while trampling on U.S. law and international agreements. John?
JOHN DICKERSON: Major, thank you.
