Fox News Reporter Grills DHS Chief Over Biden’s ‘Inflammatory Language’ Related To Criticizing U.S. Law Enforcement

Fox News reporter Peter Doocy pressed Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas during Friday’s press conference about the ongoing crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Doocy’s question pertained to some photos that were taken early this week that Democrats and the media tried to claim showed U.S. Border Patrol agents “whipping” illegal immigrants that crossed the Rio Grande. The photographer that took the photos, however, came out a few days later and said that the photos were being “misconstrued” and that he had never seen any Border Patrol agent conduct themselves in that manner.

When Doocy asked about Biden’s suspect claim that the photos showed that the illegal immigrants were being “strapped,” Mayorkas responded, “the horses have long reins, and the image in the photograph that we all saw, and that horrified the nation, raised serious questions about what it — let me finish — about what occurred and of — as I stated quite clearly, it conjured up images of what has occurred in the past.”

“Let me just be very clear and repeat what I’ve said: I am not concerned with respect to the integrity of the investigation,” Mayorkas continued. “We know how to conduct an investigation with integrity. I served as — 12 years as a federal prosecutor. There were a great deal of comments in many of the cases that I handled in the public sphere, and I know how to maintain the integrity of an investigation, and this investigation will have integrity.”

WATCH:

TRANSCRIPT:

PETER DOOCY, FOX NEWS REPORTER: Thank you very much. Just to go back, please, to the images of these mounted Border Patrol officers: You said on Saturday — or rather, on the 20th, “To ensure control of the horse, long reins are used.” The person who took these photos of the Border Patrol agents says, “I’ve never seen them whip anyone.” So, why is the President out there today talking about people being “strapped”?

ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, DHS SECRETARY: So let me — let me correct the statements in your question, if I may. It was —

DOOCY: They’re direct quotes.

MAYORKAS: No, no — if I may. It was on Friday when I was — actually, it was on Monday, I believe, when I was in Del Rio on the ground and I made the statements without having seen the images. I saw the images on the flight back, and I made the statement that I did with respect to what those images suggested.

There — the horses have long reins, and the image in the photograph that we all saw, and that horrified the nation, raised serious questions about what it — let me finish — about what occurred and of — as I stated quite clearly, it conjured up images of what has occurred in the past.

Let me — let me finish.

There’s also a question of how one uses the horse and how one interacts with individuals with the horse. And so I’m going to let the investigation run its course. I’m not going to interfere with that investigation. The facts will be determined by the investigators, and then the results will be driven by the facts that are determined.

DOOCY: And just to follow up, please — before the facts are in, is it helpful to your investigation for the President of the United States to use inflammatory language, like people being “strapped”?

MAYORKAS: Let me just be very clear and repeat what I’ve said: I am not concerned with respect to the integrity of the investigation. We know how to conduct an investigation with integrity. I served as — 12 years as a federal prosecutor. There were a great deal of comments in many of the cases that I handled in the public sphere, and I know how to maintain the integrity of an investigation, and this investigation will have integrity.