Trump Official Can’t Provide Any Evidence of Trump’s Bahamian ‘Gang Members’ Claim in Fiery Debate with Cuomo

While most television viewers interested in politics were tuned into the Democratic primary debate on ABC Thursday night, CNN’s Chris Cuomo was hosting a fiery debate with Acting U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director, Ken Cuccinelli.

The topic for debate was President Donald Trump’s claims that some Bahamian storm victims were “gang members” during Monday’s White House lawn press spray explaining how the Trump Administration is handling the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.

Trump was asked about how the United States was dealing with hurricane refugees from the Bahamas amid the news that survivors were recently kicked off a rescue ferry due to visa and immigration requirements. “I don’t want to allow people that weren’t supposed to be in the Bahamas to come into the United States, including some very bad people and some very bad gang members and some very very bad drug dealers,” Trump said. “We are going to be very very strong.”

Cuomo cited what he called “good sources” at U.S. Custom and Border Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security before saying “Nobody can put meat on the bones” of Trump’s allegation. “They push back on me, and say, ‘We didn’t close the door. We’re going to let people in. We’re figuring it out. Don’t say that it’s over.'”

Cuomo continued with “But nobody could back up the President’s claim he just made about what this risky population is. And the only one we know of being denied was not a group of drug dealers. They were mostly people with their kids trying to get in.”

Cuccinelli demurred as so many Trump administration officials do when confronted on live television about apparently specious claims made by the president.

“Yes. I don’t – I don’t have anything to add to this subject,” Cuccinelli replied, adding  “obviously, we always want to be vetting people, no matter what the circumstances.”

He then explained that President Trump was describing “people, who aren’t from the Bahamas, coming through the Bahamas, which is something that we are on the watch for, and have added vetting resources over the years, particularly during the Trump Administration.”

Cuomo did not let his guest off so easily, pushing back with “well what is the proof of what he alleged?” and noting that Trump’s unverified comments “changed the policy.”

After some cross-talk and hemming and hawing, Cuccinelli resolved with “I just told you that as Acting Director of USCIS, I don’t have any additional information on that. I think that answers the question.”

It then went on from there, which you can watch above courtesy of CNN.