One day after President Trump savaged the media over inaccurate reporting about his nascent administration, the Associated Press helped prove his point by stepping in it....big league. Cortney ran through the basics earlier, but let's contemplate what a mess the AP made here. In case you missed it, here was their reported bombshell, which spread like wildfire within minutes, fueled by the oxygen of liberal outrage:
BREAKING: Trump administration considers mobilizing as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to round up unauthorized immigrants.
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 17, 2017
The Trump administration is considering a proposal to mobilize as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to round up unauthorized immigrants, including millions living nowhere near the Mexico border, according to a draft memo obtained by The Associated Press. The 11-page document calls for the unprecedented militarization of immigration enforcement as far north as Portland, Oregon, and as far east as New Orleans, Louisiana. Four states that border on Mexico are included in the proposal — California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas — but it also encompasses seven states contiguous to those four — Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. Governors in the 11 states would have a choice whether to have their guard troops participate, according to the memo, written by U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, a retired four-star Marine general.
As the left wet itself over Trump's 'Gestapo' Deportation Force or whatever, the White House flat-out denied the story, full stop:
“There is no effort at all to round up, to utilize the National Guard to round up illegal immigrants," Spicer told press pool on AF-1.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) February 17, 2017
Speculation quickly began to percolate that the memo was a merely a draft memo, many of which never see the light of day in terms of real-world implementation. Yup:
DHS confirms that the memo reported by AP did exist; but they said it was "never seriously considered" https://t.co/4kB6rLfyCX
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) February 17, 2017
The AP did say "considering," so maybe that wasn't such a terrible misfire. But where did they get the 100,000 number? Immigration attorney and conservative writer Gabriel Malor poured over the documents and found no basis for the Associated Press' citation of that figure, as well as other false details:
Also, the draft memo does not specify 100,000 NG would be mobilized. Nor that they would be "rounding up" aliens.
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) February 17, 2017
Brutal. By the way, via Ed Morrissey, guess who actually did summon the national guard for immigration enforcement purposes six years ago? Oh. And is there any chance this was a set-up to make the media look bad? I'm dubious of that theory, but the press eagerly stepped on the rake. Again. I'll leave you with Trump beating up a bit on CNN yesterday afternoon. "Very fake news:"