The latest episode in the mainstream media’s long-running war on truth once again exposes their rush to judgment and appetite for sensationalism. ABC’s airing of images and headlines suggesting ICE “used” a five-year-old as bait set off outrage across the left-leaning echo chamber before investigators and Homeland Security officials even finished explaining what happened. The initial narrative pushed by national anchors was immediate, emotional, and ultimately misleading.
Officials at DHS and ICE have pushed back hard, saying the agency did not exploit the child and that agents remained to protect him after the father fled the scene, not the other way around. These aren’t partisan talking points — they are operational facts provided by the people running the investigation, and they undercut the melodramatic headlines that went viral. Conservatives who defend law and order aren’t celebrating cruelty; we’re demanding accuracy and accountability from the institutions that shape public opinion.
Meanwhile, Democratic politicians and activists raced in to weaponize the footage, turning an operational incident into a political cudgel before all the facts were known. Representative visits and protest theater amplified the outrage, playing into a predictable script where emotion substitutes for evidence whenever immigration enforcement is involved. America’s hardworking citizens deserve better than performative politics built on half-truths and viral panic.
This isn’t an isolated misstep by the press. We’ve seen the pattern repeat: an explosive claim, immediate amplification by national outlets, and only later a grudging correction when the inconvenient facts surface. That cycle destroys trust in the media and allows bad actors to set the agenda for weeks on end. If the press wants to regain credibility, it must stop treating prosecutors and PR as interchangeable and start verifying before vilifying.
Of course there are two sides to every story — family lawyers and local officials have voiced a differing account, and every allegation should be fully investigated. But reporting that treats accusation as conviction damages lives and the institutions that protect us, especially when law-enforcement testimony and documented procedure point another way. We can support compassionate treatment of children while also supporting the rule of law and a fair, fact-based media environment.
Patriots who love this country should demand both humane enforcement and journalistic integrity: hold bad actors accountable, but do not allow irresponsible reporting to inflame the public and undermine the rule of law. The right answer is sober, not sensational — defend our officers when they follow procedure, insist on transparency when they do not, and refuse to let the narrative be hijacked by opportunists on either side. America is worth better than viral lies and political theater; hardworking citizens deserve truth, not headlines.
