‘Those People Will Pay!’ Biden Promises Border Patrol Horsemen Who Charged, ‘Strapped’ Haitian Migrants Will Be Punished
President Joe Biden was asked about scenes of Haitian asylum-seekers being menaced by Border Patrol agents on horseback, and promised: “Those people will pay!”
On Friday morning, President Biden delivered a speech updating Americans on the status of covid-19 booster shots, after which he took questions from reporters. The first question came from ABC News’ Rachel Scott, who asked about the situation at the border.
“Mr. President, you said on the campaign trail that you’re going to restore the moral standing of the US, that you were going to immediately end Trump’s assault on the dignity of immigrant communities,” Scott said, and asked, “Given what we saw at the border this week, have you failed in that promise? And this is happening under your watch, do you take responsibility for the chaos that’s unfolding?”
“Of course I take responsibility as president,” Biden said, “but it was horrible, what you see, as you saw, to see people treated like they did, horses nearly running them over, people being strapped. It’s outrageous.”
“I promise you, those people will pay!” Biden pledged, adding “They will be, an investigation [is] underway now, and there will be consequences. There will be consequences.
“It’s an embarrassment. It’s beyond an embarrassment. It’s dangerous. It’s wrong. It sends the wrong message around the world. It sends the wrong message at home. It’s simply not who we are,” Biden said.
The president did very briefly address the situation at the tail end of a photo op with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on Tuesday, responding to a shouted question from CBS’ Ed O’Keefe with an inaudible answer and a gesture that appeared to mimic the use of reins, and audibly remarked “the violence is not justified.”
That photo op also sparked media outrage when PM Johnson fielded questions from the British press, but American reporters were loudly ushered out without such an opportunity.
In recent days, White House correspondents Yamiche Alcindor of PBS and April Ryan of The Grio have pressed chief Biden spokesperson Jen Psaki about the horrific images, and asked when the president would weigh in on them personally and in detail.
Watch above via MSNBC.
