On Wednesday, Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin revealed on Special Report that Biden Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas knew that the images of migrants being whipped by border patrol agents were being misconstrued, according to a DHS e-mail obtained by the Heritage Foundation. While at the time the three evening news networks leaped to lambast the Border Patrol agents, they are conveniently quiet over the revelation that Mayorkas knew the truth despite rushing to the White House press briefing room to excoriate Border Patrol.
"A DHS e-mail obtained by the Heritage Foundation reveals Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was alerted that the migrant whipping narrative the President pushed wasn’t true," Melugin reported.
Melugin proceeded to reveal more damming details about Mayorkas's knowledge:
At 12:05 pm, Marsha Espinosa DHS’s Assistant Secretary for public affairs sent this e-mail to Secretary Mayorkas and other DHS officials where she literally highlights that the photographer who took the infamous photos said in an interview that things aren’t what they seem that he and his colleagues never saw agents whipping anybody and that his images were being misconstrued.
Despite receiving that email, just two and a half hours later "Mayorkas joined a press conference at the White House where he failed to dispute or stop the false whipping narrative."
Instead, Melugin noted, Mayorkas said "we know that those images painfully conjured up the worst elements of our nation's ongoing battle against systemic racism."
Notably, but unsurprisingly, Melugin revealed that the Biden administration isn't being transparent and is now refusing to speak on the record about the incident.
"We did reach out to DHS two days ago for comment on the story. We followed up again today. But as of this new cast, we still do not have any on the record response from DHS. We’ll send it back to you," Melugin added.
This latest example of bias by omission from the three networks was made possible by Prevagen on ABC, TD Ameritrade on CBS, and Progressive on NBC. Their information is linked.
To read the relevant transcript click "expand":
FNC’s Special Report
10/12/2022
6:03:47 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: We're learning new information tonight about the incident featuring images the Biden administration characterized as showing border patrol agents on horseback whipping Haitian migrants. Those agents were excoriated by President Biden but later exonerated. Fox News has learned the head of the Homeland Security Department knew that early on that witnesses said the agents did not abuse the migrants. Correspondent Bill Melugin has the latest tonight.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: To see people treated like they did horses running them over, people being strapped. It’s outrageous! I promise you those people will pay.
BILL MELUGIN: Hours after President Biden made these comments on the morning of September 24, 2021, a DHS e-mail obtained by the Heritage Foundation reveals Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was alerted that the migrant whipping narrative the President pushed wasn’t true. At 12:05 pm, Marsha Espinosa DHS’s Assistant Secretary for public affairs sent this e-mail to Secretary Mayorkas and other DHS officials where she literally highlights that the photographer who took the infamous photos said in an interview that things aren’t what they seem that he and his colleagues never saw agents whipping anybody and that his images were being misconstrued.
But, 2 1/2 hours after receiving that e-mail, Mayorkas joined a press conference at the White House where he failed to dispute or stop the false whipping narrative. Instead, he called the images horrifying.
HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: We know that those images painfully conjured up the worst elements of our nation's ongoing battle against systemic racism.
MELUGIN: The president of the border patrol union says that email shows there was no interest in the truth.
BRANDON JUDD (NATIONAL BORDER PATROL COUNCIL): It is smoking gun evidence and it clearly shows that they're willing to lie to the American people for their self-interests. They withheld facts. Any time that you withhold facts from the American people, you should be willing to step down from your job. Better men would step down.
MELUGIN: And Bret, a ten-month-long CBP investigation later concluded those horseback agents didn't whip any migrants. Though, several of them are now facing unpaid suspensions of up to 14 days for administrative violations. Those agents are currently working with border patrol union attorneys to challenge that discipline. They're gathering evidence and I'm now told that evidence includes that e-mail you just saw. We did reach out to DHS two days ago for comment on the story. We followed up again today. But as of this new cast, we still do not have any on the record response from DHS. We’ll send it back to you.
BAIER: That’s amazing, Bill. So you spent some time in D.C., you tried to get the secretary to sit down. You tried to talk to him as he was walking. Did not talk to you then. But then two days you've asked for any comment or statement from DHS?
MELUGIN: Exactly right. Reached out on Monday, tried to give them a full day on Monday, full day yesterday and before we went on air with this this morning, I reached out to them and said hey we're going on air in an hour. Haven't heard from you guys. If you have anything you’d like to comment on this, we'll make sure to get it on the air and did not get anything from them until afterwards. They sent me something on background. But still, we have nothing on the record from them.
BAIER: Okay. Bill Melugin in Los Angeles. Bill, thank you.
