After Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe released a series of photos showing the disgraceful conditions of migrant children being held in South Texas, many expressed outrage at the media silence — as well as that of Democratic politicians — over of an issue that had caused an uproar on their part during President Donald Trump’s presidency.
Congressman Cuellar, who lives along the Texas border with Mexico, leaked the photos to Axios on Monday while stating over 400 unaccompanied migrant children are living in “pods” designed to hold up to 260 people, according to Border Patrol officials.
Later in the day, O’Keefe released additional disturbing photos and a video depicting children forced to sleep on floor mats in overcrowded facilities which were rapidly opened amid a worsening humanitarian crisis and where up to 3,000 unaccompanied migrant minors are being held, often well beyond the 72-hour legal holding limit for minors.
The Biden Administration has not allowed news media or members of Congress to photograph the conditions under which these migrant children are being held.
In response, many — including prominent politicians and conservatives — took to Twitter to voice their outrage over the deteriorating situation on the southern border as well as the double standard which has granted President Biden a virtual immunity for issues that were heavily highlighted by the mainstream media as well as left-wing activists and politicians during President Trump’s presidency.
“This is the #BidenBorderCrisis,” wrote Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH).
“Crickets from the establishment media,” wrote conservative commentator David Wohl. “Your daily reminder that JOURNALISM IS DEAD.”
“The pros are in charge again,” wrote author Jim Hanson. “Wrapping kids like baked potatoes is perfectly humane.”
“Is This Why President Biden Blocking Media?” asked Fox News Network contributor Charles Payne.
“Every Biden voter is complicit,” wrote conservative writer David Harsanyi.
“Where is @aoc? Where are the CNN idiots wailing and whining about ‘children being ripped from the arms of their mothers?’” asked author and former congressional candidate Buzz Patterson.
“More importantly, where is @JoeBiden?” he added. “Hypocrites!!”
Describing President Biden’s immigration policies “an international disgrace,” Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) called on the president to “circle back to Trump Admin policies.”
“The safety of our communities & the well being of the migrants are at stake,” he added.
“Either Dems and media faked the tears and ‘outrage’ pre-Biden, or they meant it. If it’s the latter, where are they now?” asked Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC).
“Kids are in cages. And this surge is far worse than any under President Trump,” he added.
“Play stupid games, win stupid prizes,” wrote Florida Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL).
“The woke liberal politicians controlling D.C. have caused a humanitarian & national security emergency on our Southern Border because of their reckless amnesty and open border policies,” he added.
“Enough is enough. We need leadership now.”
“Kids in Family Unification Modules,” quipped writer Eddie Zipperer.
“So do we not care about kids in cages anymore?” asked former UFC/MMA fighter Jake Shields.
“Build back better cages,” wrote political commentator Ian Miles Cheong, playing on Biden’s campaign slogan “Build Back Better.”
Political consultant Ryan James Girdusky also ridiculed Democrats for their “woke” approach.
“Apparently, the border crisis is now a laughing matter for the Biden administration,” wrote Steve Guest, Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) special advisor for communications, sharing a clip of Vice President Kamala Harris laughing when asked if she had any plans to visit the border.
Even feminist author Dr. Noami Wolf had harsh words for the blatant hypocrisy.
“I can’t stand the partisan hypocrisy,” she wrote. “If kids in cages were bad last year, kids in cages are bad this year as well.”
Many specifically called out Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) for her silence after having assailed the Trump administration for its migrant facilities.
“Oh, and here are kids in cages,” wrote political commentator and talk show host Dave Rubin. “Please pass along to AOC and mainstream media if you are able to…”
“Calling @AOC and all fake humanitarians,” wrote former NY State Assemblyman Dov Hikind.
“Where’s the outrage!?” wrote Arizona’s Republican 2022 Republican Congress candidate Josh Barnett, tagging Ocasio-Cortez in the Tweet.
“Hey @AOC, just wondering if this is still like a concentration camp or if it’s all good now,” wrote political journalist Brandon Morse.
“Where is @AOC crying while standing in front of these cages?” asked Texas congressional candidate Jenny Garcia Sharon.
“Under the previous administration, these same conditions were described as ‘concentration camps’ by AOC,” noted the Young America’s Foundation.
“Why is AOC so quiet about Biden’s concentration camps?” asked Republican political strategist Arthur Schwartz.
The Reagan Battalion also noted the stark contrast between Ocasio-Cortez’s reaction to migrant facilities during Trump’s presidency and her silence in the face of current migrant conditions in such facilities.
The reaction comes as a patent double standard is repeatedly apparent in the attitudes toward the current president and the former one regarding identical issues.
Over the weekend, after a video showed President Biden stumbling several times while boarding Air Force One, conservative pundits and Twitter users were quick to note the media’s hypocrisy as it sought to exaggerate any instance to question former President Trump’s health status while disregarding instances that call Biden’s health into question.
Follow Joshua Klein on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.