UPDATE: The Associated Press has issued a retraction.
AP has deleted a tweet from late Wednesday on Trump’s “animals” comment about immigrants because it wasn’t made clear that he was speaking after a comment about gang members.
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 17, 2018
***Original story***
Another day, another false "news" story.
During a roundtable discussion Wednesday afternoon at the White House with federal immigration officials and local politicians fighting sanctuary city policies, President Trump referred to MS-13 gang members as "animals."
From the White House transcript:
SHERIFF MIMS: Thank you. There could be an MS-13 member I know about -- if they don’t reach a certain threshold, I cannot tell ICE about it.
THE PRESIDENT: We have people coming into the country, or trying to come in -- and we're stopping a lot of them -- but we're taking people out of the country. You wouldn’t believe how bad these people are. These aren’t people. These are animals. And we're taking them out of the country at a level and at a rate that's never happened before. And because of the weak laws, they come in fast, we get them, we release them, we get them again, we bring them out. It's crazy.
C-Span grabbed the exchange, but left out important context about the comments being directed at the violent transnational gang. This prompted the entire media apparatus, with a few exceptions, to meltdown. Headlines and tweets all over the internet shouted, "Trump calls undocumented immigrants animals! Does he know nothing about human dignity?!"
Trump faces backlash after calling some undocumented immigrants “animals” https://t.co/mhvAVtagBt pic.twitter.com/3XqkTE2pm9
— POLITICO (@politico) May 17, 2018
Trump lashed out at undocumented immigrants during a White House meeting, calling those trying to breach the country’s borders “animals” https://t.co/aQNeu29T6e pic.twitter.com/ogrFKaWyDZ
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 16, 2018
A tough take down by the California governor after @realDonaldTrump calls people trying to get into the country "animals" not people. https://t.co/LPKiHPJaWZ
— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) May 16, 2018
Trump called MS-13 gang members “animals.” Here is how it’s being reported. (The C-Span video below starts right after the question.) Fake News from MSNBC, NY Times, C-Span and more... pic.twitter.com/RXNQw5vbjF
— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) May 17, 2018
"We're taking people out of the country. You wouldn't believe how bad these people are. These aren't people — these are animals." During a meeting with public officials who oppose California’s sanctuary policies, Pres. Trump criticized US immigration laws https://t.co/2KcrIhMnyR pic.twitter.com/SsmCdaofHb
— CNN (@CNN) May 17, 2018
Democrat politicians and Hollywood leftists also piled on.
There are no words to express how I feel about this.
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) May 17, 2018
Trump Calls Some Unauthorized Immigrants ‘Animals’ https://t.co/ni1uzE81SF
When all of our great-great-grandparents came to America they weren’t “animals,” and these people aren’t either.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) May 16, 2018
IF you are a decent person and were in a meeting where @realDonaldTrump called immigrants “animals,” you will denounce him NOW. Otherwise, what makes you any different?
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) May 17, 2018
History has not looked kindly on us when we fail to help others in times of great need. The United States has stood as a beacon of hope for so many immigrants and refugees who sought shelter from war and oppression - they deserve our respect. https://t.co/hijURZhwt1
— Bill Foster (@RepBillFoster) May 17, 2018
MS-13's motto is "Kill, Rape, Control." A quick Google search will bring up horrific stories of MS-13 engaging in torture against its victims. They engage is satanic practices, which involves ripping out the hearts of victims while they are still alive, or cutting them open until they bleed out on the street.
how dare Trump call MS-13 “animals" pic.twitter.com/Yye52fZxhw
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) May 17, 2018
The FBI describes MS-13 this way:
They perpetrate violence—from assaults to homicides, using firearms, machetes, or blunt objects—to intimidate rival gangs, law enforcement, and the general public. They often target middle and high school students for recruitment. And they form tenuous alliances...and sometimes vicious rivalries...with other criminal groups, depending on their needs at the time.
MS-13 members engage in a wide range of criminal activity, including drug distribution, murder, rape, prostitution, robbery, home invasions, immigration offenses, kidnapping, carjackings/auto thefts, and vandalism. Most of these crimes, you’ll notice, have one thing in common—they are exceedingly violent. And while most of the violence is directed toward other MS-13 members or rival street gangs, innocent citizens often get caught in the crossfire.
Instead of checking the White House transcript before spinning into outrage, reporters ran with the out of context comments. Corrections to a number of stories have yet to be issued.