Donald Trump is under fire for arguing that his policy of separating immigrant children from their parents at the U.S. border was the same one employed by Barack Obama, a claim that critics say is a lie.
Trump took to Twitter on Sunday to attack a 60 Minutes report on his border separation policy. The report noted that the Trump administration had been slowly easing in the policy, first putting parts of it in place last year. Trump had previously claimed that the policy was out of his hands and blamed Democrats for not fixing immigration policies, before reversing course and ordering the policy to stop. In his tweet on Sunday, Trump claimed that “phony story” misrepresented his policy and that “they know we had the exact same policy as the Obama Administration.”
Trump went on to say that pictures circulated in the media earlier this year showing immigrant children in detention facilities was actually taken in 2014 under Barack Obama. But as the Hill noted, Trump’s claim was misleading.
“Trump has repeatedly asserted, misleadingly, that his administration’s policy is the same as former President Obama’s,” the report noted.
“While the Obama administration did separate some children from their parents at the border, it was not a ‘zero tolerance’ policy and did not happen with the same frequency as it did under Trump. “
The report went on to add that the former White House Domestic Policy Council director under Barack Obama has already explained that the 2014 photo was taken during a surge in crossings from unaccompanied children, so none of the children in the photo Trump referenced had ever actually been taken from their parents.
A number of other reporters took to Twitter to push back against Trump’s claim, including Washington Monthly contributor David Atkins who called it a “lie.”
It was not the same policy. This is a lie. You know it’s a lie.
You know this, because you signed off on the new, much more cruel policy.
— David Atkins (@DavidOAtkins) November 26, 2018
Trump’s angry statements on Twitter came just hours after Border Patrol guards fired tear gas at migrant families approaching the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump has attempted to restrict the rules on asylum seekers and threatened to close the border to them, though critics say it is legal for these families to cross the U.S. border when they are seeking asylum.
It was not the same policy. This is a lie. You know it’s a lie.
You know this, because you signed off on the new, much more cruel policy.
— David Atkins (@DavidOAtkins) November 26, 2018
A truly chilling 60 Minutes segment on the Trump administration child separation policy. https://t.co/w6wm8rL1oe
As bungled as it was/is inhumane.
— Sam Stein (@samstein) November 26, 2018
Images of migrant women and children running from tear gas spread across social media as a backlash to Trump’s hardline stance on immigrant came under fire. The 60 Minutes report showing the Trump administration’s planning regarding the family separation policy has added to the criticism.