“Fox & Friends” told viewers on Monday that there was nothing to see here about media reports documenting migrant children being forced into cages at detention centers on the U.S. border.
On set co-host Steve Doocy said the cages weren’t cages at all.
“While some have likened it to — them to concentration camps or cages, you do see that they have those thermal blankets, you do see some fencing, but keep in mind — some have referred to them as ‘cages,’ but, keep in mind, this is a great, big warehouse facility where they built walls out of chain link fences.”
“If you try to come into the country illegally and you got kids with you, they are going to separate the children from the adults. Criminals are separated from their kids every day in the United States of America,” he added pounding his leg for emphasis as he spoke.
“Look at everyone in prison,” co-host Ainsley Earhardt offered.
The line from Doocy came in for some viral mockery from CNN media guru Brian Stelter.
“Yes, that’s a real quote,” he scoffed.
No, these aren't cages, @SteveDoocy says. The authorities simply "built walls out of chain-link fences." Yes, that's a real quote from Fox just now. pic.twitter.com/7oVQ6oE85x
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) June 18, 2018
On Monday, the United States Department of Homeland Security released images from inside a detention center showing what looked quite a bit like people being held in large cages. Trump defenders previously insisted last week that talk of cages had been overblown.
In their report Monday, the Associated Press was unequivocal.
“Inside an old warehouse in South Texas, hundreds of children wait away from their parents in a series of cages created by metal fencing. One cage had 20 children inside. Scattered about are bottles of water, bags of chips and large foil sheets intended to serve as blankets,” they wrote.