'Don't Be A Baby':Trump Fires Back at Reporter Pushing Him on 'Criminal' Caravan

By Kara Pendleton October 20, 2018 at 4:16pm

Whether it is on Twitter or answering reporters, there is no telling what off-the-cuff comment is going to come from President Donald Trump. According to Slate, it was during a roundtable with the media when he let lose with yet another comeback that was not warmly received.

Trump told reporters that some of the individuals making up the migrant caravan on its way to the United States through Mexico from Honduras were potentially dangerous.

“Some of these people are hard criminals,” Trump said. “Hardened criminals — not good people.”

“These are some bad people coming through,” he added. “These aren’t babies, these aren’t little angels coming into our country.”

Then things got really interesting. When New York Times reporter Emily Cochrane sought elaboration on that statement from the commander in chief, he fired back.

I asked President Trump what evidence he had that “hardened criminals” are trying to enter the country. “Oh please, please, don’t be a baby,” was his response.

— Emily Cochrane (@ESCochrane) October 20, 2018

Reporter: “What evidence do you have that these are hardened criminals that are coming to the United States?”

Trump: “Oh, please. Please. Don’t be a baby. OK?” pic.twitter.com/CpEewUIJwh

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 20, 2018

In 2017, The Hill reported about the crime problem some illegal aliens present: “Criminal aliens, both legal and illegal, make up 27 percent of all federal prisoners. Yet non-citizens are only about nine percent of the nation’s adult population.”

Should these migrants be welcomed into the United States?

“Thus, judging by the numbers in federal prisons alone, non-citizens commit federal crimes at three times the rate of citizens,” The Hill calculated.

And it just gets worse, based on a review of “the criminal histories of 55,322 aliens in federal or state prisons and local jails who ‘entered the country illegally.’

“Those illegal aliens were arrested 459,614 times, an average of 8.3 arrests per illegal alien, and committed almost 700,000 criminal offenses, an average of roughly 12.7 offenses per illegal alien,” The Hill reported.

While some would argue that “migrants” in the caravan are fleeing war and poverty and are not trying to come to the U.S. illegally, the video evidence of them breaking through the Mexico border may suggest otherwise. This is aside from the fact that those seeking asylum are supposed to stop at the first safe country, not travel through one or more to get to an ideal location.

Of course, Trump wasn’t taking a hard stance only with reporters. He stood by earlier pledges to protect the border from illegal immigration.

We have today informed the countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador that if they allow their citizens, or others, to journey through their borders and up to the United States, with the intention of entering our country illegally, all payments made to them will STOP (END)!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2018

Some have claimed the caravan was timed to hit the U.S. border just prior to the midterm elections so the Democrats could use it politically to win votes. Perhaps in response to this, Trump has also tweeted about Democrats working with Republicans on immigration laws.

If the Democrats would stop being obstructionists and come together, we could write up and agree to new immigration laws in less than one hour. Look at the needless pain and suffering that they are causing. Look at the horrors taking place on the Border. Chuck & Nancy, call me!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 20, 2018

So while Trump may be criticized for seeming to scold a female reporter for a question, his point was valid. And his call for Congress to fix the current immigration laws is something that could be welcomed by those on either side of the political aisle who is concerned about them.

Submit a Correction →