Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, was met with a fact-checking rebuke on CNN’s State of the Union after making bold claims about immigration under the Biden administration. During an interview with Jake Tapper, Graham attempted to paint a grim picture of the current administration’s handling of immigration. However, his misleading statements were immediately challenged, leaving the senator in an uncomfortable position.
The Claims: Graham’s Stark Allegations
In the interview, Graham accused the Biden administration of releasing hundreds of thousands of dangerous criminals into the U.S., highlighting inflated numbers of violent offenders among them. He claimed:
“Her policies are destroying the country. They’re crazy liberal. 400,000 people have been let loose in our country. 16,000 people convicted of being a rapist. 13,000 convicted murderers, and 400,000 of people generally convicted of crimes were released on her watch, it’s not gonna get better.”
Lindsey Graham being fact checked on live TV is one of my favorite things to watch. pic.twitter.com/qw8w2B7CJ5
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) September 29, 2024
The senator’s comments reflect the ongoing Republican narrative that blames Democrats, particularly the Biden administration, for what they view as a border crisis. Graham’s numbers, however, appeared to conflate different sources, timeframes, and contexts, making it unclear exactly how he arrived at these staggering figures.
Tapper’s Swift Fact-Check: A Reality Check for Graham
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Jake Tapper, host of CNN’s State of the Union, wasn’t about to let these claims go unchecked. He immediately stepped in to clarify the facts, referencing CNN’s research on the matter:
“So I saw that statistic. We dove into it, our fact checker. That statistic is actually over decades. So some of those people you’re talking about are people that came into the country during Trump. And second of all, some of them are in prison. A lot of them are in prison. Not ICE prisons, but federal prison.”
Tapper’s correction was direct and factual, pointing out that Graham’s figures not only spanned multiple decades but also included individuals detained during Trump’s presidency. Furthermore, many of the individuals Graham referred to were still behind bars, not free to roam as his statement suggested.
This fact-check revealed how political figures often manipulate data to paint their preferred narrative, regardless of the actual situation. Graham, caught in this moment of live correction, reacted with a grin, but it was clear his exaggerations had been exposed.
Factcheck.org did a very comprehensive investigation on this HERE:
Bier calculated release and removal rates for the last two years of former President Donald Trump’s term and the first 26 months of Biden’s, using DHS data, including the lifecycle report, ICE detention statistics and other figures published by the Republican majority on the House Judiciary Committee. Bier wrote in November that his work showed the Biden administration “has removed a higher percentage of arrested border crossers in its first two years than the Trump DHS did over its last two years. Moreover, migrants were more likely to be released after a border arrest under President Trump than under President Biden.”
While the raw numbers are much higher under Biden — 5 million encounters compared with 1.4 million under Trump in those time frames — the percentages for the two administrations were similar: 47% removed under Trump and 51% under Biden. Bier’s estimates are for illegal immigration between ports of entry. (As our bar graph above shows, both administrations had removal rates above 50% when Title 42 was being used to expel people.)
“These numbers highlight how difficult it was even for the most determined administration in US history to expel everyone who enters illegally,” Bier wrote.
The Broader Context: Immigration and the Trump Era
Graham’s accusations echo a larger Republican strategy that has continued since Trump left office: blaming Biden for any perceived border or immigration problems. The numbers Graham cited, though incorrect in the context he used them, are based on genuine concerns about criminal activity among undocumented immigrants, a topic that was central to Trump’s platform in 2016.
However, Tapper’s fact-checking emphasized an important point — the problem of immigration, particularly regarding criminality among undocumented populations, didn’t start with Biden. Some of the individuals Graham mentioned had entered the U.S. under Trump’s watch, further undercutting his argument.
The Political Fallout: How Fact-Checking Influences Public Perception
Live fact-checks like this one are increasingly common in today’s media landscape, where falsehoods are quickly dissected and refuted on air. The immediate correction of Graham’s claim not only discredits his argument but also shines a light on the broader issue of political misinformation.
These types of interactions raise questions about whether political figures, like Graham, care about the accuracy of their statements or are more focused on creating powerful soundbites that resonate with their base. His grin following Tapper’s fact-check suggests that the truth of his claims might not have been his primary concern.
Graham’s Ties to Trump: The Loyal Ally
Graham’s loyalty to Donald Trump is well known, and his continued defense of policies and rhetoric tied to the former president is nothing new. His aggressive stance on immigration and crime plays into Trump’s broader narrative of “law and order,” a theme that continues to be a focal point for many Republicans.
By perpetuating these misleading claims, Graham positions himself as a defender of the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies, even when those policies are under scrutiny for their effectiveness and legality.
Top 3 Lindsey Graham Stories on Polinews.org
- Lindsey Graham Loses It After Reporter Confronts Him About Trump’s Election Lies
This story highlights a tense moment where Graham was pressed about his unwavering support for Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud. The confrontation shows Graham’s struggle to reconcile Trump’s narrative with the lack of evidence. - Lindsey Graham Slammed for Hypocrisy After Praising Trump While Criticizing Biden
This article delves into Graham’s continued defense of Trump’s actions, despite criticizing Biden for similar policies. It examines the political double standard Graham often upholds in his public statements. - Lindsey Graham Begs For Donations On Fox News, Blames Democrats For His Troubles
The piece covers Graham’s recent fundraising appeals, where he blames Democrats for his current political challenges, despite his role in supporting Trump’s agenda during the former president’s term.
Each of these stories underscores Graham’s ongoing alignment with Trump and the complexities of his public persona as both a seasoned senator and an ardent Trump ally.
Featured image via screengrab + public domain
