Trump and Biden Visit Separate Cities on US-Mexico Border

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump visited different Texas border cities on Thursday to discuss immigration and border security. 

Biden in Brownsville: “It’s long past time to act,” the president said, challenging Trump to join him in asking Congress to pass a bipartisan bill with border security provisions, which Republicans reportedly killed following Trump’s opposition. “You know and I know it’s the toughest, most efficient, most effective border security bill this country’s ever seen,” Biden added.

Trump in Eagle Pass: Saying the border was “like a war,” Trump said, “This is a Joe Biden invasion. A Biden invasion. I call him crooked Joe… the most incompetent president we've ever had.” Trump also said he met with the parents of a Georgia nursing student who was murdered by a man who was in the country illegally. 

How the Media Covered It: Coverage often echoed prior partisan attitudes on immigration, Trump, and Biden. Fox News (Right bias) characterized a murder by an unauthorized migrant as “brutal,” highlighted a Border Patrol union president who said he was “mad as hell” at Biden, and framed Biden’s destination as “one of the least trafficked towns,” while “Trump is headed into the thick of it.” Some left and center-rated outlets published analyses of both leaders’ immigration claims; NBC News (Lean Left bias) published an article saying, “Trump's claims of a migrant crime wave are not supported by national data.” Sensationalism was common across the spectrum, including quotes like “dramatic split-screen moment” and “explodes on Biden in fiery press conference.”