White House counselor Kellyanne Conway on Wednesday mocked questions about whether President Trump was fear-mongering with his unsubstantiated claim that “Middle Easterners” were hiding among the Central American migrants heading for the US border.
“I saw that ‘fear’ is one of your Sesame Grover words of the day,” Conway told reporters outside the White House, referring to a character on the classic children’s TV show “Sesame Street.”
Conway insisted that the caravan was “a very serious issue” — adding that Trump, who admitted Tuesday that there was “no proof of anything” to support his claim, was privy to inside info that the press and the public were not aware of, NBC News reported.
“He doesn’t tell you everything he knows, he’s the president of the United States. I promise you he knows more than you do and than I do on any given day about this information. There’s a constant flow of individuals trying to come over the border,” she said.
Reporters trailing the caravan have said neither they nor the migrants they have interviewed reported seeing anyone from the Middle East in the group.
Trump earlier Wednesday continued his attacks on the caravan — which reportedly was shrinking and remained about 1,100 miles from the US border — as a grave threat to the country.
“For those who want and advocate for illegal immigration, just take a good look at what has happened to Europe over the last 5 years. A total mess! They only wish they had that decision to make over again,” the president tweeted.
“We are a great Sovereign Nation. We have Strong Borders and will never accept people coming into our Country illegally!” he added in a second post.
The migrants camped out Tuesday in the southern Mexican town of Huixtla before departing Wednesday on their journey north, USA Today reported.
Mexican officials said the number of people in the caravan — many of whom are women and children escaping violence in their native Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua — had fallen to about 4,500 people from a high of about 7,200.
They hope to reach the border and seek asylum in the US.
As the midterm elections approach, Trump has repeatedly raised the specter of immigrant hordes, including potential terrorists from the Mideast, invading the US over the Mexican border.
He has threatened to deploy the US military to the border to close it down, calling the approaching caravan and illegal immigration a national emergency in what Democrats say is a ploy to fire up his nationalist base.
