Former head of US border security says claim ‘terribly misleading’ and statistics show nine of 10 convicted traffickers are US citizens
A former head of US border security has accused Donald Trump of “exploiting” the pain of the opioid epidemic to wrongly vilify migrants as responsible for the surge in American deaths from fentanyl during recent years.
But the Trump campaign is expected to double down on the deception now that the vice-president, Kamala Harris, whom Republicans describe as Joe Biden’s “border czar” and accuse of inaction over a surge of illegal immigration, is likely to be the Democratic presidential candidate in November.
Gil Kerlikowske, who led Customs and Border Protection (CBP) during the Obama administration following five years as the White House chief of national drug control policy, said Republicans know there is no truth to accusations that migrants crossing the Mexican border illegally are carrying the bulk of fentanyl sold in the US. Yet that was a line again pushed at last week’s Republican convention. Official statistics show that nine in 10 convicted fentanyl traffickers are US citizens.
He lies. Not surprising. At all.
It is a dog whistle for racism. The facts do not matter and the issues don’t matter. It is just another opportunity put out their message of hate and intolerance.
It is shocking, scary, how republicans just eat these lies up without even a smidge of consideration.
How smoothbrained do you have to be to still believe all the nonsense drumpf spouts.
Note we can now call trumpy drumpf whatever we please, as he refuses to pronounce others names correctly.
It is shocking, scary, how republicans just eat these lies up without even a smidge of consideration.
I was recently reminded that it’s even worse than I thought.
I took my son in to have bloodwork done recently. The woman who did it was a wizard with the needle. 3 different hospital teams had recently struggled to find the vein, she all but tossed it into his arm and got it on the very first poke.
So we were chatting about that, and somehow I brought up some difficulties we’ve had with his supplemental insurance recently (he has special needs) to which she said, “that’s because they are cancelling it for everyone else to be sure they can give it to the illegals.”
The conversation cooled down a little after that.
(I’m fairly sure my son’s issue with it is a paperwork problem, and likely one caused by me. I’m 100% sure it’s not that they cancelled it to give it to “the illegals.”)
Every time someone pretends the shit-ass healthcare in the US is Democrats’ or immigrants’ fault it makes my blood boil. Republicans have done every single thing they can to keep healthcare fucked up and you can be sure they will keep doing so. But sure, it’s people’s fault who are trying to find a better life and who do the jobs that people like that nurse think she is above.
when you’re conditioned to respond to literally everything you don’t like with “fake news,” then it’s easy to believe whatever you’re told to believe, evidence or not
welcome to america.
where reality is made up and the facts don’t matter
Donald Trump accused of falsely vilifying-
Say no more, headline. With 100% certainty the accusations are correct and I will learn fuckall new from reading the article itself.
Still getting treated with the white gloves. “Maybe might have implied an untruth jokingly…”
John Oliver just did an excellent show on this topic: https://youtu.be/axsgzg3RyF0?si=szmgBp4E72HTtyEE
Was just about to post this
He wants his supporters hating immigrants.
He wants his supporters hating
FTFY ;)
His supporters already hate immigrants. Right wing media has spent more than 40 years programing them to hate immigrants. Trump is just striking up a tune that he knows they’ll dance to.
Some Guy Accused Trump of Doing What He Did
click to read our real safe news
This is just basic logic. One little bottle of fentanyl can contain a vast number of doses. Who’s less likely to be searched with a bottle or two of fentanyl on them, a U.S. citizen crossing the border or literally anyone else? (Hint: not not the U.S. citizen.)
“Falsely vilifying” is a weird phrase. Is there a such thing as “correctly vilifying”?
I mean ya? Trump has been vilified by democrats.
How do you vilify a villain? Like making water wet.
Can’t just state it directly despite being clear as day.
Fuck you Guardian… “accused of” is completely unnecessary there.
deleted by creator
Lying liar tells lies. What a surprise.
@[email protected] bIdEn’S DeA
know one of the people that unloads the trucks
migrants have nothing to do with the fentanyl
it gets to the states by train cars then loaded on big rigs for the last stretches
