CBS’ Tuesday night coverage of the 2024 Republican National Convention unsurprisingly included a ridiculous distraction from the prominent issue of illegal immigration and the threat it poses to the United States. Chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett filled the time leading up to a speech by Michael Morin, whose sister was murdered by an illegal immigrant, to spew a long-winded, so-called fact-check about apparent Republican inflation of immigration numbers.

Garrett began with a falsely sympathetic acknowledgment of families involved in crimes committed by illegal immigrants, including the rape and murder of children which the “big three” networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) completely disregarded, before pointing out three different numbers used by speakers over the course of the night. 

One of those was actually correct, but he triumphantly crowed, “It’s actual[ly] 8 million, not the inflated numbers you’ve heard from the podium tonight.”

To further clarify on that number, Garrett added that “not every single one of those undocumented immigrants represents an individual. Many of them are counted multiple times because they crossed the border many times.” While admitting that the problem had been exacerbated under the Biden administration, he insisted that former President Trump had done little to resolve the situation of “undocumented border crossers.”

Co-host Norah O’Donnell interjected with an accusation of Trump’s hand in the Senate’s failure to pass a bipartisan immigration bill. Garrett agreed, stating that “Former President Trump, who said the politics of this deal would be ruinous for the Republican Party on the messaging on this, and wanted to take the issue, unresolved, to the electorate in 2024.” 

Of course, just as in February, they completely omitted mentioning the real reasons for Republican rejection of the deal and settled on demonizing Trump.

Garrett concluded his rant by insisting that such legislation, which had been “elusive since George W. Bush,” had no trajectory, voicing his expectation that Trump’s promises to deliver on substantial immigration laws were entirely meaningless.

The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:

CBS News
7/16/2024
10:11:19 PM EST

MAJOR GARRETT: And there are facts, like this case that you just mentioned, that are heartbreaking, and tragic, and real. And no discussion of immigration can overlook those hard, and brutal, and painful facts for the families involved. 

However, there are some numbers worth thinking about, as they’ve been talked about from the podium tonight. We’ve heard three different numbers, Norah. Eight million undocumented immigrants crossing the border, 11 million undocumented immigrants, 10 million–what’s the actual number? It’s actual 8 million, not the inflated numbers you’ve heard from the podium tonight. 

And not every single one of those undocumented immigrants represents an individual. Many of them are counted multiple times because they crossed the border many times. This is a fact. It was a fact during the Trump administration, it’s a fact under the Biden administration. Are the Biden administration numbers higher than comparison to Trump? Yes, 2.4 million undocumented immigrants in one full year, 2023 under Biden, yes. 2019 under Trump? One million undocumented border crossers. 

It was a problem under Trump, it is a bigger problem under Biden. But the numbers do matter and they need to be clarified so we understand the depth and gravity of this problem, in order to deal with it. 

NORAH O’DONNELL: This has been an elusive legislative goal for multiple presidents, even going back to George W. Bush and beyond. The Senate got so close, this year, on a bipartisan bill, one the Democrats did not want to vote for, agreed to a number of things that the Democrats don't like. And, yet, the bill was killed at the last minute by who?

GARRETT: Former President Trump, who said the politics of this deal would be ruinous for the Republican Party on the messaging on this, and wanted to take the issue, unresolved, to the electorate in 2024. 

And as you mention, Norah, it's really important. That bipartisan legislation had almost no concessions. Zero, for Democratic priorities long held on the immigration space. All the provisions were written and drafted by Republicans, still not sufficient for former President Trump to endorse. Had he, there’d actually be legislation. 

Why does that matter? Because when you do immigration policy through executive action, guess what happens when an administration changes? Executive actions are rescinded. The only way to permanently deal with this problem is that legislation. It’s been elusive since George W. Bush, it may be elusive even if Donald Trump is reelected.

(...)