Cummings writes: "Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined a chorus of social media critics who tore into Fox News on Sunday for an error in an onscreen graphic that said President Donald Trump had cut 'aid to 3 Mexican countries.'"
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks at a town hall in Jackson Heights, Queens. (photo: Dan Herrick)
AOC Rips Fox Over Mexican Countries Blunder
01 April 19
ep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined a chorus of social media critics who tore into Fox News on Sunday for an error in an onscreen graphic that said President Donald Trump had cut "aid to 3 Mexican countries."
The graphic at the bottom of the screen, known as a chyron, appeared as "Fox & Friends" co-host Pete Hegseth discussed Trump's decision to "cut aid payments to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras over the fact that those countries have been unable to contain the flood of migrants heading through Mexico to our southern border."
The three Central American countries are entirely independent of Mexico.
"Just a reminder that these are the same folks who assert their superiority by belittling the intelligence and good faith of others," tweeted Ocasio-Cortez, the freshman New York Democrat whose far-left positions have made her a target for the conservative cable news network.
As her tweet implies, Ocasio-Cortez has been repeatedly mocked by the network and others on social media for her own gaffes or factual errors.
“3 Mexican Countries.”
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 31, 2019
Just a reminder that these are the same folks who assert their superiority by belittling the intelligence and good faith of others.https://t.co/7JA1kCdIoS pic.twitter.com/CwINMXAarO
In one of the show's first segments on Sunday, the "Fox & Friends" hosts laughed at Ocasio-Cortez for her Friday statement on CNN that Congress passed the 22nd Amendment – which limits presidents to two terms – to prevent President Franklin Roosevelt from running a fifth time.
"Oh my goodness, this one," Hegseth said at the mention of her name.
"She occasionally gets a little ahead of the skis," co-host Ed Henry said.
The "Fox & Friends" hosts pointed out that Roosevelt died in 1945 while the amendment was not passed by Congress until 1947 and not ratified until 1951. But there is little dispute that Roosevelt – the first and only U.S. president to serve more than two terms – was the inspiration for the amendment.
Henry later apologized for the "3 Mexican countries" gaffe.
"We want to clarify and correct something that happened earlier in the show," Henry said. "We had an inaccurate graphic on screen while talking about this very story. We just want to be clear, the funding is being cut off to the three Central American countries. We apologize for the error."
"It never should’ve happened," Henry said.
The damage, though, was already done. Bad Fox Graphics, a Twitter account dedicated to spotting and sharing just those type of mistakes on Fox News, pounced and shared a screengrab of the error. Then the social media mockery and derision began.
Any recommendations for countries I should visit in Mexico?
— George Wallace (@MrGeorgeWallace) April 1, 2019
This is an actual banner from "Fox & Friends Weekend." 6:03am today. I double checked because I didn't believe it at first. Hat tip @BadFoxGraphics pic.twitter.com/tTNH0Y7a25
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) March 31, 2019
I love the 3 Mexican countries where I was born: The Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. pic.twitter.com/xAueBzYENk
— Ana Bretón (@missbreton) March 31, 2019
I was today years old when I found out Mexico was 3 countries pic.twitter.com/gVQx9cppzS
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) March 31, 2019
This is actually a good reflection of the president’s decision to lump El Salvador in with Guatemala and Honduras in decision to “cut off” aid, ignoring fact that emigration from El Salvador has plunged, in part because USAID programs there have helped reduce homicide rate https://t.co/Lidjepl377
— Nick Miroff (@NickMiroff) March 31, 2019
Remember, kids:
— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) March 31, 2019
Africa is one country.
Mexico is three countries. https://t.co/jm2Q7d7E7T
Worth keeping in mind that this isn’t just an absurd/hilarious mistake, but also fits pretty seamlessly into how many on Fox view, talk about and cover Latin American countries https://t.co/IMEG7Ncemi
— Vera Bergengruen (@VeraMBergen) March 31, 2019
What’s amazing about Fox News’ “3 Mexican Countries” SNAFU is that it exemplifies perfectly how the Far Right sees the world. Just an outrageously ignorant perspective where other people’s are interchangeable and there’s no need to consider them or their well-being.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) March 31, 2019
We love Mexico....even the hateful at times @FoxNews loves Mexico! We love Mexico so much, All countries are Mexican....but remember we are not rapist, We are people with Pride, worth ethic, We are immigrants from all over that moves America forward, We are Mexicans....pic.twitter.com/oDhxm1KSsN
— José Andrés (@chefjoseandres) March 31, 2019
Are you saying all Latin American countries look alike? pic.twitter.com/Zx8w5c0vTD
— Jessica Fletcher (@heckyessica) March 31, 2019
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