CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta misrepresented remarks President Donald Trump made during a Rose Garden speech selling a White House immigration plan.
Acosta tweeted during the Thursday speech that Trump had "[painted] asylum seekers with a broad brush," saying of them "these are frivolous claims."
Trump in Rose Garden speech paints asylum seekers with broad brush accusing them of misleading immigration authorities at border: "These are frivolous claims."
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) May 16, 2019
But Trump did almost the opposite, stressing the importance of legitimate asylum seekers and distinguishing them from illegitimate asylum seekers. "These are frivolous claims" was said about the specific class of illegitimate asylum seekers.
"We must also restore the integrity of our broken asylum system," Trump said. "Our nation has a proud history of affording protection to those fleeing government persecutions."
"Unfortunately legitimate asylum seekers are being displaced by those lodging frivolous claims—these are frivolous claims—to gain admission into our country," he said. "Asylum abuse also strains our public school systems, our hospitals, our local shelters, using funds that we should and that have to go to elderly veterans, at-risk youth, Americans in poverty and those in genuine need of protection."
"We're using the funds that should be going to them and that shouldn't happen," he continued. "My plan expedites relief for legitimate asylum-seekers by screening out the meritless claims. If you have a proper claim, you will quickly be admitted. If you don't, you will promptly be returned home."
Acosta also retweeted a tweet from NBC News reporter Julia Edwards Ainsley fact-checking Trump for saying that "most claims by families cross the border are frivolous." That tweet was also incorrect; Trump at no point said that a majority of claims were frivolous.
Trump: most claims by families cross the border are frivolous. Fact: fewer than 1 percent of families crossing turn out not to be legitimate.
— Julia E. Ainsley (@JuliaEAinsley) May 16, 2019