ICE Barbie Aide Caught Lying on ‘Body-Slamming’ Claim Live on CNN
Department for Homeland Security spokesperson Trisha McLaughlin was confronted after saying Democratic lawmakers “body-slammed” ICE agents.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security was caught lying about an altercation between federal security personnel and a group of Democratic Party officials.
Trisha McLaughlin, an aide to DHS Secretary Kristi “ICE Barbie” Noem, had accused Democratic lawmakers inspecting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in New Jersey of “body-slamming” agents, pledging to release video of the altercation.
But when CNN played the clip on Saturday, it did not feature anyone performing the wrestling move.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has earned the moniker "ICE Barbie" for cosplaying as an ICE enforcement agent, among other PR stunts.
Alex Brandon/Pool/Getty Images
“Dictionaries say it’s a wrestling move where someone is lifted off the ground and slammed onto the ground,” host Victor Blackwell said. “I don’t see that in this video.”
McLaughlin deflected: “Body-slammed, body-rammed, punched, shoved, pushed—whatever you want to call it."
Noem's department have threatened to arrest and charge other Democratic officials who were present during last week's incident.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher Sappey/USCG
McLaughlin had claimed Democratic representatives “body-slammed” immigration officials after last week’s scuffle outside a New Jersey immigration detention center, where Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested and charged with trespassing.
McLaughlin then went on the offensive as the clip continued.
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“Look at that, right there!” she said of the video, which showed light pushing but no wrestling moves. “Viewers should watch for themselves, if that’s fitting for a sitting member of Congress to be assaulting ICE officers.”
McLaughlin got herself into another tangle during the interview, defending the Trump administration’s decision to award refugee status to a group of white migrants from South Africa who President Donald Trump has claimed are victims of “genocide.” The first 59 of these migrants arrived in the United States earlier this week.
Blackwell asked whether McLaughlin would admit that the ethnic cleansing of white South Africans is, in fact, a myth.
“Absolutely not,” McLaughlin shot back. “Can we take a pause and recognise the fact you are defending race-based discrimination? You are defending racism!”
Blackwell, for his part, was having none of it. “There is no genocide in South Africa, and frankly, it does a disservice to people in countries around the world who are facing genocide,” he said. “So we should probably just start with the truth.”
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