CNN’s Brianna Keilar Called Out By Conservatives After Blaming Fox News Viewers For Covid Surge

Prominent conservatives on Twitter called out CNN anchor Brianna Keilar for directly connecting Fox News viewers to the surge in Covid-19 infections.

Keilar posted a video of part of a segment from Monday’s New Day about the border crisis on Twitter, which included a chyron that read “Biden’s Border Crisis Met With Incendiary Rhetoric From Right.”

“President Biden has a border crisis on his hands – no doubt. But conservatives are capitalizing on it by demonizing immigrants as diseased spreaders of covid – with no facts to back that up. #RollTheTape,” she tweeted, accompanied by the video.

President Biden has a border crisis on his hands – no doubt.

But conservatives are capitalizing on it by demonizing immigrants as diseased spreaders of covid – with no facts to back that up. #RollTheTape pic.twitter.com/nmUsbdM5i9

— Brianna Keilar (@brikeilarcnn) August 9, 2021

Turning Point USA chief creative officer and Newsmax host Benny Johnson retweeted Keilar and added, “Ah yes. The talking points went out this morning. The logical argument that ‘open borders leads to more disease’ was far too obvious and damaging and libs panicked to come up with something. However, libs will be shocked to realize that no one believes this agitprop anymore.”

Ah yes.

The talking points went out this morning.

The logical argument that “open borders leads to more disease” was far too obvious and damaging and libs panicked to come up with something.

However, libs will be shocked to realize that no one believes this agitprop anymore https://t.co/TWSabMq4Zr

— Benny (@bennyjohnson) August 9, 2021

Keilar retweeted Johnson and added, “Unvaccinated Americans, disproportionately Republican Fox viewers, are fueling the surge, not migrants who are near 100 percent tested and quarantined if positive. Why not talk about the border crisis without dabbling in BS and racist tropes about immigrants.”

Conservatives on Twitter called out Keilar for the claim.

The claim that “migrants are near 100 percent tested and quarantined if positive” isn’t just a blatant lie, it’s so out of touch it makes you wonder what else this CNN anchor believes that is bereft of fact. https://t.co/JppcKJO0Vf

— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) August 9, 2021

Wow. This is not true.

CNN management should stop this spread of misinformation. Twitter, too. https://t.co/fw7ueuh5nd

— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) August 10, 2021

What are you talking about @brikeilarcnn ? I’m sorry Brianna but you need to get down to the border and actually do some reporting. It’s unbelievable how misinformed you are…

My heart breaks for the migrants who are sick, some have far more than COVID… https://t.co/YerrxFdemH

— Sara A. Carter (@SaraCarterDC) August 9, 2021

It’s disgusting a “journalist” can push propaganda. Chinese Corona will mutate constantly and we don’t have an immunization yet only a temp vaccine. Illegals are allowed into America without a test. Finally as the CNN audience shrinks it the number of unvaccinated viewers is high https://t.co/HOhc6o988P

— Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) August 10, 2021

In addition isn’t it wrong for @brikeilarcnn to attack the health care choices of the black community and other minority communities which have lower vaccination rates?

And we know Fox and CNN hate each other pls don’t use Chinese Corona to pimp your show. https://t.co/HOhc6o988P

— Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) August 10, 2021

When making your silly statements unsupported by evidence, be careful not to mention that vaccination rates for black and Hispanic communities are lower than that of their white counterparts https://t.co/1vTOhfiBPe https://t.co/PVeecE0vP4

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) August 9, 2021

Fwiw: @MorningConsult poll last week showed vaccine hesitancy/resistance among @FoxNews viewers falling to 27 pct. Still higher than “all adults” (and @cnn viewers) but lowest level since survey question began in March. Most resistant group: Snapchat users https://t.co/Aui01sTxFS https://t.co/qC6mX05X7R

— Paul Farhi (@farhip) August 9, 2021

The folks in McAllen, Texas would like a word, but don’t let their lives deter your narrative! https://t.co/y2zBqvixMU pic.twitter.com/qPx6P1rVEd

— Joey Jones (@Johnny_Joey) August 9, 2021

She really just makes this shit up as she goes along https://t.co/8mCylt2q92 pic.twitter.com/d0tKlzsvBv

— Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) August 9, 2021

Why is it racist to want to test a person that traveled thousands of miles through third world countries? Some Americans are frequently tested for jobs or travel but that’s not considered racist. ? Throwing the word “racist” around constantly gets old. https://t.co/1drkDCHl52

— Beth Baumann (@eb454) August 9, 2021

Zero data supports this ridiculous claim.

Forget illegal immigrants at SW border for a second.

While it’s true white Dems are more likely to be vaccinated than white Republicans.

African Americans & Hispanics are the least vaccinated major demos in America & R predominantly Ds https://t.co/6gRb7pKngZ

— Ford O’Connell (@FordOConnell) August 10, 2021

While Keilar has a point about Republican Fox News viewers having lower rates of vaccination than other media consumers, her assertion that migrants “ are near 100 percent tested and quarantined if positive” is … confusing?

As The Washington Post’s Philip Bump reported, “CBP detainees exhibiting symptoms of illness are tested and, if found to be covid-positive, quarantined. This appears to be the extent of testing by CBP.” Keilar did not claim that CBP tests all migrants, and Bump did add that “according to an agency spokesperson, every migrant who is transferred to ICE is tested on arrival.” Almost all migrants in McAllen, Texas do get tested by Catholic Charities, as Bump reports as well.

Editor’s note: this post has been updated since being published to more precisely address Keilar’s claim and the pushback it elicited from conservative commentators.