CNN reporter Jim Acosta was caught in an egregious lie in reporting on the President’s new immigration plan, and Trump’s campaign immediately called him out.
Trump delivered remarks in the Rose Garden offering his vision for modernizing the immigration system to make America stronger.
Acosta relayed those comments and in one particular segment falsely reported that the President painted all asylum seekers with the “broad brush” of making frivolous claims to gain asylum in the United States.
“Trump in Rose Garden speech paints asylum seekers with broad brush accusing them of misleading immigration authorities at border,” Acosta tweeted. “‘These are frivolous claims.'”
No, No He Didn’t
But the reality and Acosta’s opining were light years apart. Trump specifically spoke of legitimate asylum seekers having their claims displaced due to others taking advantage of the system.
Trump in Rose Garden speech paints asylum seekers with broad brush accusing them of misleading immigration authorities at border: “These are frivolous claims.”
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) May 16, 2019
An account managed by the President’s 2020 campaign tweeted in response, “You know there’s video proving you’re lying, right?”
Oof.
Indeed there is a video which includes the full context of the President’s quote.
“We must also restore the integrity of our broken asylum system. Our Nation has a proud history of affording protection to those fleeing government persecutions,” the President explained. “Unfortunately, legitimate asylum seekers are being displaced by those lodging frivolous claims.”
Trump’s words were so vastly different from what Acosta reported that one would be hard pressed to conclude anything other than he was caught lying.
You know there’s video proving you’re lying, right?
Trump: “Our nation has a proud history of affording protection to those fleeing government persecutions. Unfortunately, legitimate asylum seekers are being displaced by those lodging frivolous claims….My plan expedites relief” pic.twitter.com/Gvz93vZBh3
— Official Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) May 16, 2019
The campaign feed later asked Acosta, “How can you do this and go home at night thinking you’ve turned in an honest day’s work as a journalist?”
It’s a legitimate question. Here’s another …
How Did Acosta Win A Journalism Award About Truth?
Last month, the New York Press Club announced they would be awarding Acosta with a prestigious “Truth to Power” journalism award at their annual dinner in June.
They really should reconsider.
“We are proud to honor a man such as Jim Acosta,” Jane Tillman Irving, president of the NYPB said. “[Acosta] has proven himself throughout his storied, decades-long career to be a journalist of the utmost integrity.”
We don’t see ‘integrity’ in the above reporting by Acosta. We see a liar.
