Author: Joseph A. Wulfsohn
Publication: Mediaite.com/
Date: May 17, 2018
URL:      https://www.mediaite.com/online/cnn-nyt-abc-news-c-span-take-trump-out-of-context-to-suggest-he-called-immigrants-animals/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

President Donald Trump held a meeting on illegal immigration at the White House on Wednesday and one particular moment went viral… but for all the wrong reasons.

Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims expressed her frustrations with the federal government to the president regarding the handling of criminal illegal immigrants and cited MS-13 gang members as an example. Responding directly to that, Trump said the following:

“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.”

However, dozens of media outlets have only shared the response to Sheriff Mims, not including her question and comments that were directly about MS-13 and in the process purposefully mischaracterizing the president’s remarks to accuse him of referring to immigrants as “animals.”

CNN, ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, and C-SPAN shared the clip on Twitter leaving out the crucial context of Trump’s response.
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CNN @CNN
 "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://trib.al/jDvH1Vx
9:39 AM - May 17, 2018
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ABC News @ABC
 Pres. Trump refers to some who cross the border illegally as 'animals,' not people. "You wouldn't believe how bad these people are."
 The president was holding a roundtable discussion with California elected officials who oppose the state's sanctuary law. https://abcn.ws/2rPYlRo
6:03 AM - May 17, 2018
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CBS News @CBSNews
 "These aren't people. These are animals." President Trump used the harsh rhetoric to describe some undocumented immigrants during a California "sanctuary state" roundtable. https://cbsn.ws/2IpNIvO
5:02 AM - May 17, 2018
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NBC News @NBCNews
 "We're taking people out of the country — you wouldn't believe how bad these people are. These aren't people. These are animals."
President Trump says the U.S. has "the dumbest laws on immigration in the world" during a roundtable on sanctuary cities.
5:17 AM - May 17, 2018
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CSPAN @cspan
 President Trump during California #SanctuaryCities Roundtable: "These aren't people. These are animals."
Full video here: https://cs.pn/2INPSJ4
1:40 AM - May 17, 2018
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The New York Times shared Trump’s quote and implied that he was referring to “undocumented immigrants” instead of violent gang members.
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The New York Times @nytimes
 Trump lashed out at undocumented immigrants during a White House meeting, calling those trying to breach the country’s borders “animals” https://nyti.ms/2rJgCjs
5:11 AM - May 17, 2018
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The Associated Press tweeted out an article, referring to MS-13 as “some immigrants.”
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The Associated Press @AP
 President Trump draws criticism from Democrats after referring to some immigrants as "animals" during a White House roundtable discussion. http://apne.ws/C6LfbqM
6:09 PM - May 17, 2018
https://storage.googleapis.com/afs-prod/media/media:a0470acfff504da3b48850a447abeb8a/800.jpeg
Trump draws rebuke for 'animal' remark at immigration talk
WASHINGTON (AP) — While railing against California for its so-called sanctuary immigration policies, President Donald Trump referred to some people who cross the border illegally
apnews.com
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NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell tweeted that Trump’s “animal” jab was in reference to “people trying to get into the country.”
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Andrea Mitchell @mitchellreports
 A tough take down by the California governor after @realDonaldTrump calls people trying to get into the country "animals" not people. https://twitter.com/JerryBrownGov/status/996846319330209792 …
2:51 AM - May 17, 2018
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Washington Post reporter Robert Costa noted that the president had used the term “animal” before on the campaign trail in 2015, but what he neglected to mention was that Trump specifically used the word in reference to the illegal immigrant who shot and killed Kate Steinle.
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Robert Costa @costareports
 President Trump has used the "animal" phrase going back, at least, to 2015. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/07/12/listening-to-donald-trump-swear-and-talk-politics-on-his-private-plane/ … https://twitter.com/cspan/status/996845374819192833 …
1:50 AM - May 17, 2018
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The New York Daily News accused Trump of “hurling hate at immigrants” with its Thursday cover.
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New York Daily News @NYDailyNews
 Cómo se dice racist? http://nydn.us/2Gpwa1e 
PLUS: Trump calls immigrants "animals" http://nydn.us/2rRYioy 
An early look at Thursday's front...
5:58 AM - May 17, 2018
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Among the headlines, The New York Times had “Trump Calls Some Unauthorized Immigrants ‘Animals in Rant,” USA Today had “Trump calls undocumented people ‘animals,’ rhetoric with a dark past,” Vox had “Trump on deported immigrants: ‘They’re not people They’re animals,'” The Huffington Post had “Trump Refers to Immigrants As ‘Animals.’ Again,” Business Insider had “Trump says some unauthorized immigrants ‘aren’t people’ but ‘animals’ who will be rapidly kicked out of the US,” and The Washington Post had “Calling immigrants ‘animals,’ Trump evokes an ugly history of dehumanization.”