Trump's Tariff Threat Over Migrant Caravan Draws Contrasting Media Coverage

President Donald Trump threatened to double tariffs on Mexico if a migrant caravan of roughly 1500 people reaches the US border.

'Invasion': Trump took to Truth Social Thursday saying "Here we go again! With the perceived loss by Republicans in the Midterms — I WAS NOT ON THE BALLOT — the INVASION of our Country is taking place again. Huge CARAVANS are forming and beginning their illegal march through Mexico. Many of the people in these Caravans are those that various countries don't want — 'Send them to America,' they say — But they will not be accepted! MEXICO MUST STOP THEM, NOW, and if they do not do so, the Tariffs on Mexico will be IMMEDIATELY DOUBLED. MEXICO, THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS, THE VERY LIBERAL NEW GOVERNOR OF TEXAS, OUR GREAT BORDER PATROL, & ICE, HAVE BEEN SO INFORMED. There will be no leniency! Thank you for your attention to this matter."

'New Hope': Coverage from the left was sparse compared to the right and center. Al Jazeera (Lean Left bias) wrote that "More than a thousand migrants began marching on Tuesday through southern Mexico in a caravan, encouraged by last week's Democratic victory in the elections, as Mexican authorities blocked a second, smaller group from trying to reach the US." The outlet also highlighted a statement from Cesar Sandoval, a 47-year-old Nicaraguan who was deported from the US saying, "There might be a light at the end of the tunnel, a way for us to get in," and "We believe the Democrats will help us." Opinion writer Ed Mazza for HuffPost (Left) highlighted late-night ABC talk show host Jimmy Kimmel's responses to Trumps "claim" that "huge caravans" were forming. "Oh man, this is getting pathetic" Kimmel said, adding "He's lost his mojo. He's repeating himself. He's shrieking about caravans and ballrooms and evil Democrats, and nobody's listening."

'Open Border Democrats': Outlets on the right like Townhall (Right) highlighted that "Mexican police are escorting the caravan" and the "migrants are sleeping in municipal auditoriums." Others like Fox News (Right) framed the coverage around "open-border Democrats," saying that "Trump's post began with the suggestion the midterm elections have emboldened the mass migration efforts that he has had to shut down since his first administration." The New York Post (Right) also highlighted statements from Cesar Sandoval, the deported Nicaraguan quoted by Al Jazeera, but included a portion of his remarks that Al Jazeera did not. The Post highlighted the 47-year-old saying "We hope they [Democrats] remember that the ones who gave them the vote so they could make it to the Senate and Congress were the sons of Hispanics, the sons of Latinos."

RELATED: Biased Outlets Slant Coverage of Trump's '60 Minutes' Interview

Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary.