Here are the names of a few kids whose lives were destroyed this past year: Jakelin Caal and Felipe Gómez Alonzo, two children under the age of 10 who died in December while in Customs and Border Protection custody. Here’s another name: Mariee Juárez. The 18-month-old contracted a respiratory infection after being detained by ICE in March of last year and died six weeks after being released.
Here is the name of at least one teenage student at Covington Catholic High School whose life has not been destroyed, despite Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ insistence to the contrary on Tuesday night’s Hannity: Nick Sandmann. Speaking to Sean Hannity about the media’s reaction to viral video of Sandmann mocking a Native American man, Sanders said she had “never seen people so happy to destroy a kid’s life.”
“Is the president’s branding of ‘fake news’ forever etched into the minds of the American people when they see events like this on Friday and then followed by Covington and what happened to those students?” Hannity asked Sanders.
“Honestly, Sean, we hope not,” Sanders replied. “We hope that fake news does not become the forever brand of the news media because it’s not good for the country, as the president said. He’d love for people to report things accurately.
“We’ve seen time and time again where they run out here with outrageous, ridiculous stories. One person reports it to begin with and they all jump on it. We saw it again with the Covington students,” Sanders continued. “I’ve never seen people so happy to destroy a kid’s life. When that becomes the norm in the media in America simply because they are associated with this president, that is disgraceful, and that should never happen.”
As the president’s top spokeswoman defends him, Sandmann has begun his own redemption tour after media personalities and celebrities self-flagellated over appropriately criticizing him and his classmates for their conduct. He gave a bright-eyed interview to Today this morning where he dutifully recalled his PR firm’s talking points. President Donald Trump also came to his defense via Twitter.
Regardless of how Sanders wants to spin the media’s very accurate initial reaction to a clip of a white teenager standing in front of and staring down a Native American man peacefully drumming and singing, Sandmann’s life has not been destroyed. Not even close. He will be fine. He was always going to be.