CBS’s John Dickerson Misleads Viewers On Border Crossings, Ignores 10 Million Crossings Under Biden

John Dickerson, the new co-anchor on CBS Evening News, stirred controversy with his claim that migration at the southern border is at its lowest level since the Trump administration. This assertion comes despite more than 10 million illegal crossings during President Joe Biden’s time in office, a significant fact Dickerson conveniently left out.
During the broadcast, Dickerson discussed a recent CBS poll with correspondent Weijia Jiang. The poll revealed that 67% of Democrats believe the administration has worked to reduce migration, while 65% of Republicans think the opposite. By focusing on recent data showing a decrease, CBS attempted to shift attention away from the ongoing crisis.
CBS's John Dickerson: "We know the parties are ideologically put opposed, but there's also a division on basic facts. One example, the border. Migration has at its lowest level since the Trump administration. But the polls show not everyone sees it that way, do they?"
Weijia… pic.twitter.com/6XcfsNFZSr
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 14, 2024
What CBS and Dickerson failed to mention was the broader context—the millions of migrants who have illegally crossed into the US over the past three years. This omission highlights how major media outlets like CBS downplay the administration’s failure to control the border.
The reality on the ground tells a much different story. Border communities continue to be overwhelmed by a surge of illegal migrants, while law enforcement struggles to manage the daily influx. Although CBS spotlighted a small drop in monthly numbers, they avoided acknowledging the overall trend of record-setting crossings since 2021.
CBS’s John Dickerson GASLIGHTS Viewers on Migration, Expects Them to Pretend 10M+ Border Crossings Never Happened https://t.co/YA9CazmSZs
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) October 15, 2024
Conservative critics argue that this type of media coverage protects the administration from accountability. They suggest that by selectively presenting data, CBS shields Biden and Harris from the political consequences of their border policies, which have rolled back many of President Donald Trump’s successful deterrents.
Local officials, especially in border states like Texas, have repeatedly asked the federal government for more support to handle the influx, but little action has been taken. While Dickerson and CBS focus on downplaying the issue, border towns are left to bear the brunt of the crisis.
“Don’t take the bait.” CBS News’ John Dickerson explains how the media should cover Donald Trump as a presidential candidate. (Video: CBS) pic.twitter.com/LWm3sNHybY
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) November 2, 2023