Conservative commentator Ann Coulter urged President Donald Trump to allow soldiers to shoot people at the border or, alternatively, invade Mexico during an appearance on Fox News’ Justice with Judge Jeanine on November 24. Despite Coulter’s outrageous comments, Fox News headlined the show’s transcript on its website “Coulter urges Trump to follow through on tough border talk.”
During the show, Coulter argued that U.S. soldiers “can shoot invaders,” adding that if they couldn't shoot them in the United States they could “go one yard into Mexico.” When host Jeanine Pirro pushed back, stating, “Ann, we can’t invade Mexico. … We certainly can’t cross the border to shoot them up over there,” Coulter responded, “Reagan invaded Grenada, and Grenada was far less of a threat to Americans.” She also stated that even if judges would try to prevent Trump from allowing soldiers to shoot at migrants or invade Mexico, “that’s not a reason not to try it.”
To summarize: Coulter called for shooting migrants or invading Mexico, and Fox News thought the best description for those comments was “Coulter urges Trump to follow through on tough border talk.”
Here’s the transcript:
JEANINE PIRRO (HOST): You know what the legal requirement is, [the] Posse Comitatus [Act]. I mean, he is doing everything he can ...
ANN COULTER (CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR): That you can’t shoot Americans --
PIRRO: ... to back it up. What?
COULTER: Number one, you can't shoot Americans; you can shoot invaders. Number two, even if that were true, OK, go in one yard into Mexico. What is happening on our border is certainly --
PIRRO: So we should invade Mexico?
COULTER: -- a bigger crisis for Americans than Grenada was.
PIRRO: Ann, we can’t invade Mexico to stop them from coming in here. I mean, we're doing the same thing unless Mexico gives us that authority. If you recall, even in Benghazi they said, “We didn't get permission from Libya to go in and protect our men.” We certainly can’t cross the border to shoot them up over there, I mean, if that's what you're talking about -- to send the military there.
COULTER: We invaded -- Reagan invaded Grenada, and Grenada was far less of a threat to Americans than what’s happening on our border and I am saying, I don't think the Posse Comitatus Act -- I mean, Nazis have been arrested by our troops, when they landed in the Hamptons no less, with guns.
PIRRO: Right, because they were, because --
COULTER: Our troops had guns. He is the commander-in-chief. This is what he should be doing, and as for the omnibus bill and [Speaker of the House Paul] Ryan --
PIRRO: And he has got to follow the laws because there are federal judges all over this country who will stop him in his tracks. Final word, Ann, real fast.
COULTER: Well, I don't think so. I don't think so.
PIRRO: I've been watching the news.
COULTER: Most of the property in Texas -- so they'll bring a lawsuit, but they will lose.
PIRRO: Yes, ultimately.
COULTER: And that's not a reason not to try it.