As the debate about the Central American migrant caravan rages on, there’s a new conspiracy theory emerging from the right-wing fever swamps, and it posits that some of the most widely-circulated images from the U.S. southern border are phony.
A section of the border descended into chaos this past weekend as several hundred migrants attempted to storm the border. Security officials used tear gas in response to the unruly crowds and threats of aggression from the attempted border-crossers, though women and children were also gassed among the crowds.
One of the most prominent images that emerged was this picture of a mother and her kids fleeing from the tear gas:
Various fringe right outlets — and even some mainstream ones, like the Daily Wire — and public figures are absurdly suggesting that the photo was some sort of staged event with paid actors. (For the real story of the image, read CJR’s interview with photographer Kim Kyung-Hoon.)
President Trump defended the tear gas usage on Monday night by saying it was “very safe” and that migrant parents are to blame for exposing their kids to it.
[Image via Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters]
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