MSNBC’s Morning Joe has framed Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown as ‘a distraction.’
Resident analyst Anand Giridharadas, 46, made the remark Tuesday, as he reacted in real-time to an early morning tweet from newly named head of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The post, published at 6:30am, showed footage of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arresting a man Noem described as ‘criminal alien with kidnapping, assault and burglary charges’, on the streets of New York City.
Noem, who assumed the role the day before, further warned: ‘Dirtbags like this will continue to be removed from our streets.’
Tasked with giving his reaction, Giridharadas first conceded the deportations were launched as a result of Joe Biden’s failures.
However, as he continued, Giridharadas sang a different tune – claiming Trump was only capitalizing on the shortcomings of his predecessor to implement his agenda.
He said the current administration is in the midst of a ‘bread and circuses’ ploy at the expense of ‘the American people’, the benefits of which are being reaped by Trump’s ‘billionaire cronies’.
He appeared to be obliquely mentioning figures like Elon Musk, whose presence at Trump’s inauguration, and appointment to a position in government, has progressives – including Biden – hurling claims that an oligarchy is rapidly forming in the US.
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Morning Joe analyst Anand Giridharadas, 46, called Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown ‘a distraction’ Tuesday, as he reacted to a tweet from the head of Homeland Security Secretary
The post, published at 6:30am, showed footage of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arresting a man Noem described as ‘criminal alien with kidnapping, assault and burglary charges’, on the streets of New York City
‘We are moving very, very far from the president worrying about what regular people need, right?’ Giridharadas began, after admitting Americans after four years of Biden felt vulnerable and ‘under-served’ by their leaders.
‘He is distracting people with this flurry of activity,’ he went on, referring to Trump.
‘But none of this, none of these images you’re seeing are going to make your life better,’ he went on to claim.
‘None of these things, contrary to popular belief, have anything to do with the still high price of eggs.
‘None of these things will make it easier to start a business,’ he continued, echoing several talking points championed by conservatives.
‘None of these things will make it easier for people to get the education they need, change their lives, leave their kids better off.
‘This is all a distraction, shock and awe… so that Donald Trump can do one thing – and you saw it at the inauguration.
‘[He wants to] enrich his billionaire cronies, enrich his oligarch friends,’ the former New York Times columnist claimed.
Fresh off assuming the role the day before, Noem further warned: ‘Dirtbags like this will continue to be removed from our streets’
Tasked with giving his reaction, Giridharadas first conceded the deportations were launched as a result of Joe Biden’s failures – before claiming Trump was only capitalizing on such shortcomings to implement his agenda. He’s seen explaining his stance to host Mika Brzezinski
He said the administration is in the midst of a ‘bread and circuses’ ploy at the expense of ‘the American people’, the benefits of which are being reaped by Trump’s ‘billionaire cronies’. Pictured, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, and Elon Musk at Trump’s inauguration
‘That is what he is actually doing, when he’s not busy releasing his crypto coins.
‘And all of this is sort of bread and circuses for people to stare at while he’s robbing you from the back,’ he concluded – after earlier stating Trump at least deserves praise for seizing on this pent-up sentiment.
The day prior, ICE engaged in roughly 1,200 arrests in just one day, in cities ranging from Seattle to Honolulu.
In Chicago, ten separate teams of federal agents fanned out across the city to conduct Trump’s ordered operations.
Crews from NBC News – which last week was subject to layoffs – rode along with one of the teams, which granted them access to an ICE processing facility in the city, where detainees were being taken to be photographed, fingerprinted, and held until their deportation flights.
At the same time, the number of undocumented immigrants rounded up by authorities on Sunday was much higher than first reported – 956, according to an earlier statement from the federal agency.
The number shot up by nearly 250 by the end of the day, after which journalists at MSNBC repeatedly pointed out more than half of those being held did not have criminals records.
However, source also told DailyMail.com similar operations seen in New York City – like the one Noem tweeted out – specifically targeted murderers, kidnappers, and individuals charged with assault and burglary.
The billionaire’s presence at Trump’s inauguration has left progressives – including Biden – hurling claims of an oligarchy forming in the US
Trump, who ran on a mass deportation platform , has made immigration his first order of business since assuming office. Seen here, a Monday operation from ICE in New York targeting an illegal with a criminal history
ICE agents have arrested more than 3,500 people since the inauguration last Monday, with raids taking place all over the country
A photo shared by the New York DEA showed them on the scene in the Fordham Heights area of the Bronx.
The president, meanwhile, has said he is considering pulling funding to sanctuary cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York .
Trump, who ran on a mass deportation platform, has made immigration his first order of business since assuming office.
ICE agents have arrested more than 3,500 people since the inauguration last Monday, Axios reports.