Liberal Fox News commentator Jessica Tarlov recently received backlash for a tweet about border security, claiming that most of the fentanyl smugglers bringing the deadly synthetic substance into the country are American citizens. Using Trump’s own term of “bad hombres,” Tarlov claimed these bad actors must be addressed as well.
The tweet was prompted by a post from Washington Post journalist Journalist Ishaan Tharoor, who wrote on X, “Mexican President Sheinbaum fires back at Trump in a statement: “Seventy percent of the illegal weapons seized from criminals in Mexico come from your country. We do not produce these weapons, nor do we consume synthetic drugs. Tragically, it is in our country that lives are lost to the violence resulting from meeting the drug demand in yours.”
Tarlov commented “touche” underneath the post. Popular conservative commentator Collin Rugg wrote in response to Tarlov, “How about they give us our guns back and then we will give them their illegals and fentanyl back?” The co-host of “The Five” fired back at Rugg, “Definitely the bad hombres! Most of the fentanyl smugglers are Americans so we gotta clean that up too obvs.”
Many onservative users commented under Tarlov’s post disagreeing with the assertion. “Your party doesn’t put drug dealers in prison and deem it a “nonviolent” crime. Might wanna “clean that up too obvs”!” one person wrote. Another user commented, “You should take a trip to the border and see for yourself. You have no idea what you’re talking about. You have no experience with the drug cartels or the reality of what’s going on.”
Adding further context to the broader issue another person stated, “Most of the drug mules hired by the cartels and caught at the ports of entry are US citizens or legal residents. Cartels pay the vulnerable folks to take the risk. It’s a drop in the bucket now that there are millions more illegals spread through the nation thanks to #BidenHarris.”
The full statement from Mexican President Sheinbaum that prompted the exchange addressed President-elect Donald Trump’s threats of tariffs against Mexico over the illegal immigration crisis that has occurred under the Biden-Harris administration.
The statement began, “I am writing to you regarding your statement on Monday, November 25, concerning migration, fentanyl trafficking, and tariffs. You may not be aware that Mexico has developed a comprehensive policy to assist migrants from different parts of the world who cross our territory en route to the southern border of the United States. As a result, and according to data from your country’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP), encounters at the Mexico–United States border have decreased by 75% between December 2023 and November 2024. Moreover, half of those who arrive do so through a legally scheduled appointment under the United States’ CBP One program. For these reasons, migrant caravans no longer arrive at the border.”
The lengthy statement concluded, “I am convinced that North America’s economic strength lies in maintaining our trade partnership. This allows us to remain competitive against other economic blocs. For this reason, I believe that dialogue is the best path to understanding, peace, and prosperity for our nations. I hope our teams can meet soon to continue building joint solutions.”
Watch Tarlov’s highly disputed claim below:
Featured image credit: By Fredrik Lundhag from Malmö, Sweden – Money: Why Can’t Digital Media Talk About It?, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=122143564
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