We had quite a lot to say earlier about Politico's obsequious coverage of Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who has been milking the 'Maryland Father' storyline for as much attention and publicity as he can get. The trouble he's had, though, is in facing even the slightest bit of pushback on his preferred narrative, in which his favored poster child's actual record is an irrelevant 'distraction.' When unhappy facts are presented to him, he treats them as irrelevant deflections, while himself...deflecting to yet another attack on the Trump administration. I tacked this clip from CNN onto the earlier post, but it's important to watch. The Senator doesn't want to grapple with the question of whether his "constituent" -- on whom he's lavished great attention and effort -- is in fact a criminal gang member, in addition to being an illegal immigrant. Neither, it seems, does the gaggle of additional Congressional Democrats who've made the same pilgrimage to El Salvador.
As Byron York noted on Twitter/X, Van Hollen had a golden opportunity to gather such facts. He traveled all that way, after all. He chose not to ask. Probably because he didn't want to know:
🚨Van Hollen REFUSES to say Abrego-Garcia isn’t in MS13:
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) April 20, 2025
Bash: Can you say with absolute certainty that [Abrego-Garcia] is not, nor has he ever been a member of MS13?
Van Hollen: Accuses Trump of trying to "change the subject” — as he then changes the subject: “So I’m not going… pic.twitter.com/HcA8mMXOT6
A pithy and accurate summary from York:
Tries to change the subject by accusing Trump of trying to change the subject. https://t.co/0ESPqhdqF4
— Byron York (@ByronYork) April 21, 2025
I've made my thoughts on the legal aspects of this case very clear. I added that one of my concerns about the Trump administration not following through on the 'facilitation' order would be a loss of trust among a wider swath of the judiciary, which could then gum up the works on deportations -- front loading due process because the administration had made clear they wouldn't rectify even admitted mistakes. The Supreme Court's (temporary) 7-2 ruling over the weekend further embedded this concern. But what needs to be highlighted repeatedly is the credibility bankruptcy of people who were complicit in unprecedented lawlessness at the border for four years, and how they do not deserve to be taken seriously as they suddenly lecture the rest of us about the 'rule of law:'
These points may not have merit in terms of the legal battle afoot about this case. But in terms of credibility and priorities, Van Hollen deserves every bit of this. https://t.co/gRhyV9SN6w
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) April 20, 2025
‘Rule of law,’ they scream, having supported *10 million illegal border crossings* over the last four years. The rule of law matters, a lot. They have no credibility. https://t.co/WCDEcZ77qP
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) April 20, 2025
‘Rule of law,’ they scream, having supported *10 million illegal border crossings* over the last four years. The rule of law matters, a lot. They have no credibility. https://t.co/WCDEcZ77qP
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) April 20, 2025
"If any legitimate rule of law concerns may exist (and I think they do here), your championing of this man is not credible," I concluded. There's a reason why many in the 'news' media have obfuscated Garcia's arrest record, the evidence of violence against him, and his status as an illegal immigrant. Politico's lengthy story glorifying Van Hollen didn't even acknowledge that last point. Not once. Which may explain why even some people who follow the news closely are ill-informed about the case:
Bill Maher didn’t know Garcia was an illegal immigrant, which he indisputably was. He had a removal order against him. Bill may not have realized this because media reports often bend over backward to avoid this fact—which is something other than journalism. https://t.co/tkCvnhlZPA
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) April 21, 2025
Our former Townhall colleague Conn Carroll notes that "Garcia was deported pursuant to Title 8. His case has nothing to do with the Alien Enemies Act," so even Kirk wasn't fully accurate about the circumstances of the case. But he at least knew that Garcia was in the United States illegally -- a basic fact withheld from so many 'news' audiences -- which Maher did not. By the way, this is also a good catch. What do you notice?
The Washington Post publishes a picture of Kilmar Abrego Garcia wearing the hat he was wearing when arrested in 2019. (Photo credited to his wife). https://t.co/SoejkKGtf8 pic.twitter.com/4pNgkro0IZ
— Byron York (@ByronYork) April 21, 2025
Officers at the time chronicled that wearing Chicago Bulls merchandise was a symbol of being an MS-13 member. He also had knuckle tattoos that are allegedly linked to gang affiliation (the exact specifics are disputed). Maybe Garcia is the unluckiest person alive. Maybe he just liked the hat. Maybe his wife fabricated the spousal abuse and faked her bruises. Maybe the judges who signed the protective orders against him were hoodwinked. Maybe the two immigration judges who deemed him to be part of MS-13 were, too. Maybe he just happened to select a fashion accessory associated with MS-13 in his area, purely by coincidence. Maybe Maryland authorities' confidential informant made up the intelligence against Garcia, including his alleged gang name. Maybe when he was stopped in Tennessee -- driving on an invalid license in a car packed with eight people with no luggage, supposedly for construction work, far out of state -- there was nothing genuinely suspicious about those circumstances. And maybe when he was arrested in Maryland (with cash and drugs in the immediate vicinity), it was yet another coincidence the two men arrested with him were known MS-13 gang members. That's a lot of unluckiness.
Or maybe, just maybe, he's...a member of MS-13. His great champion, Senator Van Hollen, doesn't know because he doesn't want to know. And regardless, it doesn't matter. Garcia was an illegal immigrant with no right to be in the United States. The administration's error was sending him to the one country a standing judicial order proscribed. Incidentally, will Van Hollen rush to the aid of these men? Will he ignore the victim's family, as he did with Rachel Morin?
Two "Maryland men" have been arrested over the murder of a 23-year-old mother whose body was found on April 17 buried outside the Cedarville State Forest in Prince George’s County. (The same county where Kilmar Abrego Garcia lived.)
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) April 21, 2025
Illegal migrant Keycy Robinson Alexi Barrera… pic.twitter.com/fT2KwxUN7A
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