Photo: Fox
Fox Newsquickly issued an apology after a geography gaffe this week resulted in an on-air graphic incorrectly labeling three Central-American countries as all belonging to Mexico.
Fox & Friendsaired the incorrect chyron during a segment Sunday in which they discussed PresidentDonald Trump’s plan to cut millions of dollars in aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, which collectively make up the Northern Triangle in Central America.
Trump himself is a notedFox & Friendsviewer: Throughout his presidency, he has regularly quoted from it on his Twitter — and has occasionally called-in dating back to before his campaign.
“Trump cuts U.S. aid to 3 Mexican countries,” the banner read.
Co-host Ed Henry later issued an on-air apology.
“We want to clarify and correct something that happened earlier in the show. We had an incorrect graphic on screen while talking about this very story,” he said. “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 have happened.”
The mistake did not go unnoticed: Among those who called it on social media were New York Rep.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezand Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg, who is running for president.
RELATED VIDEO: Trump Declares a Sweeping ‘National Emergency’ at the Border to Build His Wall. Now What?
Trump on Friday announced he would cut nearly $500 million in 2018 funds and millions more from the prior fiscal year, tothe three countries because, he said, they were not helpful in cutting the flow of migrants across the U.S. border, according to theWashington Post.
“I’ve ended payments to Guatemala, to Honduras and El Salvador. No more money is going there anymore,” Trump reportedly said. “We were giving them $500 million. We were paying them tremendous amounts of money, and we’re not paying them anymore because they haven’t done a thing for us.”
The acting White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, spoke more to the move onCNN, telling Jake Tapper that the countries “could do more.”
“If we’re going to give these countries hundreds of millions of dollars, we would like them to do more,” he said. “[It’s] not an unreasonable position.”
“If [the aid] is working so well, why are the people still coming?” Mulvaney continued. “Why are these historic numbers — again, 100,00 people will cross the border this month alone. That is a crisis. It’s a humanitarian crisis. It’s a security crisis.”
source: people.com
