In a recent turn of events, CNN found itself at the center of controversy following its coverage aimed at discrediting a portion of Republican Alabama Senator Katie Britt’s State of the Union rebuttal. Senator Britt’s rebuttal had included the harrowing tale of Karla Jacinto, a victim of sex trafficking, to highlight the severe implications of the ongoing border crisis.
Karla Jacinto’s story is a chilling narrative of survival. From the ages of 12 to 16, she endured extreme brutality at the hands of traffickers in Mexico, a story that Britt used to underscore the dire situation at the border.
CNN’s coverage took a contentious turn when it featured Jacinto in an interview, followed by a story that sought to challenge Britt’s portrayal of Jacinto’s ordeal. However, the network’s assertions flat out contradicted their own previous reports on Jacinto and the woman own words.
The news networks first attempt to “clarify” the network had initially claimed that Britt inaccurately stated she met one-on-one with Jacinto. Yet, Britt’s original statement only mentioned that she had “spoken” with Jacinto while visiting the border in Texas. The Senator never claimed to have a one-on-one meeting with Jacinto. CNN updated the story again.
Lastly, CNN contested Britt’s claim that Mexican “cartels trafficked Jacinto,” a term Britt used without specifying “drug cartels.” This detail is significant because Jacinto has previously described her traffickers as part of a “crime organization,” aligning with Britt’s terminology. During a testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in May 2015, Jacinto referred to her captors as a “pimp” or “crime organization” that even took her daughter to ensure she remained under their control.
Unlike CNN, Jacinto’s narrative has been consistent, including a Fox News report which described her trafficker as part of an international crime ring. She has referred to the organization as a “family” involved in organized crime, emphasizing the structure and systematic nature of her abuse.
Leave it to CNN to tarnish a human trafficking victim so they can attack a Republican Senator.
Joe Biden’s policies have been a gift to the cartels that are engaged in horrific sex trafficking and bringing fentanyl to the U.S.
Katie Britt is absolutely right and that’s why the media is attacking her.
That want to smear any conservative who speaks out.
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) March 11, 2024
