Biden blocks media from visiting border; Republican senators cry foul – ‘he’s terrified’ Americans will see disaster

“Joe Biden is issuing this media blackout because he’s terrified of the American people seeing the disaster that is unfolding,” said Sen. Cruz.

By Josh Plank, World Israel News

Nine Republican senators held a press conference on Wednesday, demanding that members of the media be allowed access to the developing humanitarian, national security, and public health crises on America’s southern border.

“Joe Biden is issuing this media blackout because he’s terrified of the American people seeing the disaster that is unfolding,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

Cruz is among a group of 18 senators who plan to visit the border in Texas this Thursday night and Friday.

He said the purpose of the visit is “to see firsthand the crisis that is unfolding, to see firsthand the over 100,000 illegal immigrants who were detained last month, to see the over 15,000 children that are in custody of the Biden administration right now.”

Cruz said that this border tour will be notably different from his previous visits. “Our friends in the media right now are not allowed to come,” he said.

“We want the American people to see what’s happening, but Joe Biden doesn’t want you to see that. The Biden administration has issued a gag order, a blackout order, that the media cannot come,” said Cruz.

“The Biden administration says it is a Covid risk for any member of the media to see the disaster that is unfolding,” he said. “That’s an outrage. It’s unacceptable.”

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said, “I know the Biden administration is saying they’re doing this because they want to be more humane. They are guaranteeing inhumanity.”

He said the problems at the border include drug trafficking, human trafficking, and sex trafficking.

Also on Wednesday, President Joe Biden announced that he is tasking Vice President Kamala Harris with “stemming the migration to our southern border.”

“I can think of nobody who is better qualified to do this,” said Biden.

“When she speaks, she speaks for me. Doesn’t have to check with me. She knows what she’s doing, and I hope we can move this along,” he said.

Last week, NBC News reported that Border Patrol officials had been told to deny all media requests for “ride-alongs” with agents, and local press officers had been instructed to send all information requests to the press office in Washington for approval.

“Multiple news organizations, including NBC News, have requested access to or photos from inside overcrowded border processing facilities holding unaccompanied migrant children; they have been denied,” the report said.