Ann Coulter says children seen crying at the border are 'child actors' coached by liberals
The Trump Administration has attracted the ire of several of its peers, as well as the United Nations, for its recent policy of separating children from their parents after they have crossed over the border in search of a safe haven. Several hundred videos and pictures that have since gone viral have shown these teary-eyed children, some as young as three, desperately clinging onto their parents to little avail.
The country's far-right has never been shy of showing its vocal support to President Trump, even for questionable decisions, and conservative social and political commentator Ann Coulter has been one of the loudest voices of all. Parroting a popular alt-right theory that claims that school shootings have 'crisis actors' planted by liberals to garner empathy, Coulter suggested that these crying children were nothing but child actors.
Making an appearance on Fox News' 'The Next Revolution,' the controversial but equally popular pundit said: "I would also say one other thing, these child actors weeping and crying on all the other networks 24/7 right now — do not fall for them, Mr. President," adding: "I get very nervous about the president getting his news from TV."
Never one to shy away from speaking her mind, Coulter cited a New Yorker article as proof for the outlandish claim. "A New Yorker article, The New Yorker is not a conservative publication, they describe how these kids, these kids are being coached," she said. "They’re given scripts to read by liberals, according to The New Yorker. Don't fall for the actor children."
While it is unclear what New Yorker article she is referring to, it seems more likely that she egregiously misconstrued the contents of a report published by The New York Times instead. That particular report had stated that officials were teaching migrant children what to say in order to be granted asylum when caught so they could circumvent the administration's zero-tolerance policy.
The situation for these children in detention is often heart-breaking. The Associated Press wrote: "Inside an old warehouse in South Texas, hundreds of children wait away from their parents in a series of cages created by metal fencing. One cage had 20 children inside. Scattered about are bottles of water, bags of chips and large foil sheets intended to serve as blankets."
The comments shouldn't come as a surprise to many. Coulter has often described herself as someone who likes to 'stir up the pot' and does not 'pretend to be impartial or balanced.' A staunch prominent for harsh immigration laws, she has gone so far as to criticize Trump for the lack of progress on his much-vaunted border wall with Mexico.
She is thought to hold considerable sway on the president as well. She is one of the 45 people he follows on Twitter and has also written a book titled 'In Trump We Trust.' Many also believe that her other book, '¡Adios, America!,' is the basis for the administration's current harsh stance.
Her most recent comments, while inflammatory, will likely not prove too damaging. The Senate Democrats introduced a bill earlier this month to end the separation of immigrant families, with a House bill entered by Republicans also looking to enact similar measures. Trump himself has the power to stop it but seems to have washed his hands off the entire situation.