Fake News-a-PALOOZA! Red Cross fact checks journos reporting Trump banned them from border facilities

Doug P. | 3:32 PM on June 23, 2018

The American Red Cross is helping out with the border situation, and tweeted about it a couple days ago:

We share everyone's concern about the border situation and stand ready to help. We have offered assistance to federal gov't authorities, but without permission, we can't access facilities. Here’s a list of trusted organizations providing assistance: https://t.co/HfU4LTviUz

— American Red Cross (@RedCross) June 20, 2018

That tweet caused a frenzy among some journos who read a lot into the above tweet:

It’s horrifying that the Trump administration won’t even allow the Ref Cross to visit its immigrant detention centers. What is the administration trying to hide? https://t.co/cWCEnA2WSI

— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) June 23, 2018

The Red Cross says it’s being denied access to federal detention centers where children separated from parents are being held.

When other countries deny relief orgs access to detention centers, the United States used to employ every means available to change that policy. https://t.co/pG9uqai0x4

— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) June 22, 2018

Trump’s Centralized State is even banning the Red Cross from visiting those infants and toddlers being incarcerated by Trump. What do Trump and Pence have to hide? https://t.co/envB35OsLz

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) June 23, 2018

Refusing to allow the Red Cross to access detention facilities where children are being held is the kind of behavior we've come to expect from the likes of Bashar al-Assad and Kim Jong-un.

It's called weaponized humanitarian access, and it's a human rights violation. https://t.co/KmR6LiqSjb

— Caroline Orr (@RVAwonk) June 23, 2018

To clarify, we have been in contact at many different levels of the Administration to offer our help with the border situation. Officials have welcomed and appreciated the discussions, understand our capabilities, and know that Red Cross help is available.

— American Red Cross (@RedCross) June 23, 2018

Please note we’ve had discussions with federal officials to see if there is a way we can help, but no one is “banning” us from anything, and if there is a role for the Red Cross to play, we will.

— American Red Cross (@RedCross) June 23, 2018

This is not true, and we are sorry if our statement led you to this conclusion. We’ve had discussions with federal officials to see if there is a way we can help, but no one is “banning” us from anything, and if there is a role for the Red Cross to play, we will.

— American Red Cross (@RedCross) June 23, 2018