Last Updated on September 27, 2021
Left-leaning media outlet Axios has deleted a tweet and “updated” a story that had previously claimed illegal immigrants were being whipped by Border patrol agents after National File debunked the viral whip hoax story that served as the basis for the article.
“We deleted a previous tweet that referred to Border Patrol agents as whipping at Haitian migrants,” Axios announced in a tweet on Sunday. “The story has been updated to include comments from some journalists on the border who did not see whipping occur.”
The viral whip hoax spread like wildfire in left-wing circles last week, gaining support from even the highest levels of the Executive Branch. “To see people treated like they did? Horses running them over? People being strapped? It’s outrageous,” Democrat Biden Joe Biden raged during a press conference. I promise you, those people will pay.
We deleted a previous tweet that referred to Border Patrol agents as whipping at Haitian migrants.
The story has been updated to include comments from some journalists on the border who did not see whipping occur.
— Axios (@axios) September 26, 2021
Border patrol is mounted on horseback rounding up Haitian refugees with whips.
This is unfathomable cruelty towards people fleeing disaster and political ruin. The administration must stop this. pic.twitter.com/BSjT91NSj0
— Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) September 20, 2021
National File was among the first national media outlets to debunk the viral whip hoax when it gained momentum on left-wing social media platforms such as Twitter:
The “whips” and “lariats” seen in the images and videos are clearly horse reigns, and bear no resemblance to bullwhips or other scourges.
A statement released by the Border Patrol thoroughly debunked the “Border officer are whipping illegal migrants” narrative, noting that “Agents use their reins for a lot of reasons. Primarily it’s used to steer the horse, but agents will also spin them sometimes to deter people from getting too close to the horse,” and “Agents also need to maintain control of their reins so they don’t lose control of the horse, which can also cause injuries to immigrants, the agents, and the horses.” The statement concluded, “We are not aware of anyone being struck with the reins.”
The Border Patrol’s statement is backed up by a thorough examination of the images and videos, which confirm that at no point can the reins be seen coming into contact with the bodies of illegal Haitian migrants. National File rates the claim that Bordper patrol agents are using whips on illegal migrants as Completely False.
