The latest debacle for Joe Biden’s handling of the crisis at the border could be seen on Thursday with newly released horrific video of two toddlers heaved over a border wall and plummeting to the ground 14 feet below. In an obvious attempt to protect the Democrat in the White House, NBC on Wednesday night ignored it completely and allowed a scant 41 seconds on Thursday’s Today show, a two hour-long program.
CBS didn’t do much better, managing a combined 56 seconds. It was only ABC on Wednesday and Thursday that offered two full reports, totaling 3 minutes and 22 seconds. Considering how the networks reacted to Donald Trump and kids in cages, we can guess how they would cover screaming toddlers thrown across a wall if it were Trump’s America.
On Thursday, Today co-host Hoda Kotb began NBC’s brief coverage by calling the footage “some disturbing video.” Reporter Kristen Welker marveled at the “stunning,” “unbelievable,” “tough to watch,” scene at the border. But only for 41 seconds.
This is really stunning and tough to watch. Customs and Border Protection releasing video from Tuesday evening that shows smugglers dropping two young children from the top of a 14 foot high border barrier. Right after the kids land, the smugglers fled the scene. The girls, just three and five, are okay, and they are in the custody of Border Patrol. Unbelievable video there.
“Stunning” the footage may be, but not stunning enough for even a minute of coverage on NBC. The video itself, it should be pointed out, is from Tuesday and was released by border agents on Wednesday.
Within a larger segment on immigration, CBS This Morning on Thursday devoted just 27 seconds to the “alarming new video.”
We've got to pivot to alarming new video showing how far smugglers will go to get migrants across the United States southern border. A surveillance camera recorded smugglers climbing a 14-foot barrier in New Mexico and literally dropping two small children over the barrier to the ground. While child smuggling isn't uncommon, what you are seeing is, at least for now. Agents rescued the children. One is a five-year-old, the other is three years old.
On Wednesday's CBS Evening News, Norah O’Donnell allowed just 29 additional seconds. ABC stood out with 1 minute and 27 seconds on Wednesday and 1 minute and 55 seconds on Thursday morning, totaling 3 minutes and 22 seconds. World News Tonight anchor David Muir warned of the "chilling new images tonight from the southern border."
The border situation is an escalating crisis. Children are being heaved over 14 feet walls to plummet to the ground. Where are the media watchdogs? Oh, right. A Democrat is president.
The attempt to protect the Biden administration from its border debacle was sponsored by Giant on NBC’s Today and Apple on CBS This Morning. Click on the links to let them know what you think.
Partial transcripts are below. Click “expand” to read more.
Today
4/1/2021
7:15 AM ET
HODA KOTB: Meantime, actually, moving to the crisis at the border, there's really some disturbing video of I guess some parents who are dropping their toddlers over that border wall attempting to cross into the United States. What can you tell us?
KRISTEN WELKER: Hoda, you're right, this is stunning and tough to watch. Customs and Border Protection releasing video from Tuesday evening that shows smugglers dropping two young children from the top of a 14 foot high border barrier. Right after the kids land, the smugglers fled the scene. The girls, just three and five, are okay, and they are in the custody of Border Patrol. Unbelievable video there.
Good Morning America
3/31/2021
7:15 AM ET
ROBIN ROBERTS: Now to the latest on the crisis at the border and that disturbing video showing two young girls being dropped by smugglers over the wall to the U.S. side. Now, thankfully, both are doing fine this morning. Our chief White House correspondent Cecilia Vega has more on the story for us. Good morning, Cecilia.
CECILIA VEGA: Hi, Robin. Good morning. This is a specially frustrating for the agents on the front line as they are up against human smuggling operations and preying on migrants. And I will warn you, this video is tough to watch. This morning, authorities are on the hunt for these smugglers. The disturbing scene unfolding in a remote location in New Mexico. On the Mexican side a Mexican straddles the fence and hoists a small child over. She drops a full 14 feet landing on the U.S. Side. Moments later, a second child dropped to the ground. Then the two suspects flee back into Mexico. A border patrol agent using a remote camera saw it all. Authorities quickly rescuing the two sisters from Ecuador, just three and five years old. Our affiliate KVIA obtaining this photo of them after being checked for injuries.
GLORIA CHAVEZ (Chief Patrol Agent, El Paso Sector): We told them not to be scared and we'll take care of them and that very soon hopefully put them together with their mom in the United States.
VEGA: In Texas a 6-month-old pulled from the Rio Grande. Rangers on patrol jumped in to save her after a smuggler threw her in. More than 18,000 migrant children in custody. As for the two little girls --
CHAVEZ: This is our number one priority. I want to find these guides. I don't want this to happen to other children.
VEGA: Agents here are working with Mexico to try to track them down. In the El Paso sector alone the chief said they're seeing more than 100 unaccompanied minors every single day. That’s just in that area. As for those girls, they are okay. They were taken to a hospital in border patrol custody. And guys, the border patrol was able to track down the mom. She’s in the U.S and she knows her daughters are safe.
CBS This Morning
4/1/2021
7:15 AM ET
TONY DOKOUPIL: We've got to pivot to alarming new video showing how far smugglers will go to get migrants across the United States southern border. A surveillance camera recorded smugglers climbing a 14-foot barrier in New Mexico and literally dropping two small children over the barrier to the ground. While child smuggling isn't uncommon, what you are seeing is, at least for now. Agents rescued the children. One is a five-year-old, the other is three years old.
