Though journalists are clearly covering the ongoing debacle at the southern border, they are doing their best to provide partisan, pathetic cover for the Biden administration. CBS This Morning co-host Tony Dokoupil on Thursday delicately contrasted the Trump administration’s border policies (“clear, if morally debatable”) and the Biden administration’s efforts (“a little bit more nuanced”).
The co-hosts pressed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about the unfolding disaster, but they also wondered just when would be a good a time for an open border. Using Orwellian language to spin for the Democrats, Dokoupil described the mess on the border as “nuanced.”:
The prior administration had very clear, if morally debatable, message to families who wanted to come to the border and children. It was do not come. Your message is a little bit more nuanced. For families listening this morning, making a decision about staying where they are which is dangerous and coming to the U.S. border, what do you tell them?
Before launching into a defense of the administration, Mayorkas stumbled with his reply: “I — I — I tell them do not come.”
Even a question that seemed tough was followed with a query on just when open borders would be officially okay. Check out these back-to-back examples:
MASON: Mr. Secretary, according to our information, as many as 500 children unaccompanied a day are now arriving at the border. My question is how are you going to stop that at this point? Because — the people we've talked to there say this is going to continue because desperate families believe the border is open.
...
DOKOUPIL: I was going to say, Mr. Secretary, I cannot begin to imagine the difficult decision that these families are making. And if you say to them this morning do not come, the next question is going to be, “How long do I wait, and what am I waiting for?” Is there going to come a moment where you say, okay, now's the time?
So it’s not so much that open borders are bad, just the mixed messaging from the Biden administration?
The hack spinning for the Biden administration on CBS was sponsored by Consumer Cellular and Cadillac. Click on the links to let them know what you think.
A transcript of the questions can be found below. Click “expand” to read more.
CBS This Morning
3/18/2021
8:02 AM ETANTHONY MASON: The Secretary of Homeland Security is telling Congress that the U.S. Southern border is secure, not wide open. DHS warned this week that the U.S. is on pace to see its largest wave of migrants in two decades. In a house committee hearing yesterday Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas called the situation “undoubtedly difficult,” but he disagreed with Republicans who call it a crisis. Republicans blame the Biden administration saying it created the surge of migrants by rolling back Trump-era policies.
TONY DOKOUPIL: And DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas joins us now. Mr. Secretary, good morning to you. I think it's fair to say most Americans have been troubled by the pictures from along the U.S. Border. I want to start with what we have not seen — that is the conditions inside these facilities where now thousands of children are being held outside observers have not been allowed inside. Why not, and have you toured the facilities? Can you describe the conditions for us this morning?
...
DOKOUPIL: Mr. Secretary, could you take a run at the conditions there? Because we've heard from lawyers who have spoken to the children that some of them are taking turns sleeping on the floor because there's not enough space. You said you took tours. What did you see? What are the conditions?
ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: You know, the conditions, Tony, depend on which border patrol station we are speaking of.
...
DOKOUPIL: Mr. Secretary — Mr. Secretary, I want to pick up on that point that the border facilities are not a place for children. The prior administration had very clear, if morally debatable, message to families who wanted to come to the border and children. It was do not come. Your message is a little bit more nuanced. For families listening this morning, making a decision about staying where they are which is dangerous and coming to the U.S. border, what do you tell them?
MAYORKAS: I — I — I tell them do not come.
...
MASON: Mr. Secretary, according to our information, as man as 500 children unaccompanied a day are now arriving at the border. My question is how are you going to stop that at this point? Because — the people we've talked to there say this is going to continue because desperate families believe the border is open.
...
DOKOUPIL: I was going to say, Mr. Secretary, I cannot begin to imagine the difficult decision that these families are making. And if you say to them this morning do not come, the next question is going to be, “How long do I wait, and what am I waiting for?” Is there going to come a moment where you say, okay, now's the time?
