Leavitt Blasts Democrats for Prioritizing Illegal Alien Gang Members Over Victims Like Rachel Morin
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a blistering press briefing Tuesday, slamming Democrats and corporate media for their “despicable glorification” of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an MS-13 gang member and illegal alien deported to El Salvador by the Trump Administration. Her remarks come as Democrat lawmakers prepare to fly to El Salvador to demand that President Nayib Bukele release Abrego Garcia from the CECOT supermax prison and return him to the U.S.
“You’d Think He Was Father of the Year”
Leavitt tore into what she described as “sensationalism” by the press, accusing them of portraying Abrego Garcia as an innocent family man rather than a known affiliate of a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization. She highlighted the hypocrisy of elected Democrats like Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who has made national headlines defending Abrego Garcia while ignoring American victims like Rachel Morin.
“Based on the sensationalism of many of the people in this room, you would think we deported a candidate for Father of the Year,” Leavitt said.
“That’s because, unfortunately, many in this country care more about this ‘Maryland father’ illegal alien MS-13 gang member than a Maryland mother and an American citizen who was brutally murdered at the hands of a different illegal alien.”
Justice for Rachel Morin
Leavitt invoked the tragic 2023 murder of Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five who was ambushed, beaten, and strangled while jogging in Harford County, Maryland. Her killer, Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez, was an illegal alien who had previously been deported and re-entered the U.S. under the Biden administration’s lax immigration enforcement.
“The Morin family finally got justice yesterday,” Leavitt said, referencing the jury verdict convicting Hernandez. “But they will never get Rachel back.”
Leavitt then underscored the Trump administration’s unwavering commitment to deporting violent illegal aliens, vowing that “the safety of the American people is too important to settle for anything less.”
Democrats Defending Terrorists Over Constituents?
When asked by Matthew Foldi about Senate Democrats’ plans to lobby the Salvadoran government for Abrego Garcia’s release, Leavitt didn’t mince words:
“It’s mind-boggling. It’s atrocious that you have Democrats in Congress who swore an oath to serve their constituents, now spending more time defending illegal immigrant gang members than law-abiding American citizens.”
She specifically referenced the upcoming delegation led by Senator Van Hollen, who has vowed to personally confront President Bukele and demand Abrego Garcia’s release. Leavitt noted that these same lawmakers were silent during the Rachel Morin murder, demonstrating a disturbing misalignment of priorities.
“Maybe if they actually cared about the American people, they’d see a bit higher approval ratings,” she quipped.
A Clear Line Drawn
Tuesday’s press briefing drew a clear contrast between the Trump administration’s America First policies and what Leavitt called the Democratic Party’s foreign-first, criminal-coddling agenda. The Biden-era policies that once led to tragedy are being reversed—and Leavitt made it clear that there will be zero tolerance going forward for violent illegal alien criminals.
The administration, she said, is working “day and night” with DHS and ICE to restore law and order.
“Every single violent illegal alien will be removed,” Leavitt concluded. “This is about protecting our families, our communities, and our country.”