'Incredibly sick!' MAGA melts down at CNN over report on new ICE tracking app
MAGA adherents, including those in the White House, had a full-blown meltdown over a CNN report on an app called ICEBlock that tracks the activity of Department of Homeland Security officers targeting undocumented migrants for deportation.
CNN's Clare Duffy reported Monday that the tech developer "wants it to be an early-warning system about the location of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. He says he does not want people interfering with those officers' activity, but he does want people to avoid them altogether, if they want."
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt learned about the report at Monday's press briefing
One reporter asked Leavitt to comment on "why CNN would be promoting such an app."
"Surely, it sounds like this would be an incitement of further violence on our ICE officers," Leavitt said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement posted a statement to social media from acting director Todd Lyons, saying, “CNN’s promotion of an ‘ICE spotting’ app is reckless and irresponsible. Advertising an app that basically paints a target on federal law enforcement officers’ backs is sickening...Is this simply reckless 'journalism' or overt activism?"
Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy, posted on social media, "CNN is openly helping invaders and insurrectionists sabotage ICE."
Congress also got in on the action, with Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) posting that CNN is "pushing an app that helps DOXX ICE agents in real time...Will Apple and Google keep this in their app stores? Will Congress act as fast to ban this as they did with TikTok? Because if exposing American law enforcement to danger doesn’t raise red flags, what will?"
Trump's "border czar," Tom Homan, told right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson he was demanding a Department of Justice investigation.
"A national media outlet forecasting law enforcement operations. DOJ needs to look at this. Send a strong message," Homan said. "This is disgusting. It's a dangerous job, this puts the danger at a whole new level."
"Populist" commentator @joma_gc wrote, " did a puff piece with the developer of an app that allows users to track ICE agents in real time. CNN is now providing free advertising for an app that aims to get ICE agents hurt and/or killed in the line of duty. Why is Apple and Google allowing this on their app stores? This should be removed immediately."
Libs of TikTok wrote, "CNN knows exactly what they’re doing," and @AmericaPapaBear posted CNN "needs to be charged with aiding and abetting criminal activity!!"