July 2023 Right-Wing Media Report

July Summary

During the July tracking period, there were 3,897 negative immigration mentions across right-wing media outlets to an estimated audience of over 8,063,840,793 people worth an estimated $201,953,468 in publicity. There were 82,302 mentions on Twitter to an audience of 1,261,758,139 people.

This month, the majority of overall immigration mentions centered around DeSantis’s SB 1718, the GOP’s call to impeach Mayorkas, the southern border, and the usual right wing rhetoric surrounding fentanyl, migrants, and the undocumented. SB 1718 being passed on the 1st sparked conversation surrounding its implications in the first several days of the month. In light of Mayorkas appearing in front of the House Judiciary Committee on the 26th, he was mentioned several times throughout the month by GOP lawmakers calling for his impeachment. The idea that immigration is putting a strain on the economy came up several times, with supposed facts surrounding housing migrants and the toll they put on taxpayers being pushed.

• The first spike occurred on July 2nd with SB 1718’s passage and implications being discussed by various outlets. JD Vance appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press and spoke about the southern border and fentanyl. He claimed that cartels will soon have more power than the Mexican government and the U.S. will have to militarily intervene to decrease the amount of fentanyl coming into the country. There were also several articles discussing Greg Abbott bussing 41 people to Los Angeles in yet another stunt of sending migrants to sanctuary cities.
• The second spike was on the 4th and saw Fox News starting the holiday with an article speaking to the current state of the country and describing how many migrants have entered over the past 3 years of the Biden Administration. There continued to be talk of SB 1718 with sites highlighting president Obrador’s response to its passage. A Washington Examiner article mocked Obrador’s comments regarding the bill and celebrated DeSantis while linking migrants crime. They also made sure to not let Biden off the hook and emphasized the “border crisis” falls on him as much as Mexico. In addition, One American News broadcasted a speech Trump gave and spent several segments praising him and reminiscing on his border policies.
• The third spike was on the 10th with former Texas Rep. Mayra Flores announcing her 2024 congressional campaign on Fox and Friends. This announcement caught the attention of multiple outlets, especially her claims that Mayorkas should be impeached over his handling of the border. There were articles discussing migrant’s working in the United States with a Breitbart article headlining: “Joe Biden’s Migrants Take Jobs, Americans Lose Jobs.” Texas began installing a floating barrier along the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass. Abbott and others who pushed for this project insist the buoys will deter migrants from attempting to cross the border and frame it as though they are protecting migrants from crossing the river.
• The fourth spike was on the 12th with Mayorkas being the center of many stories relating to the border. It was confirmed on this day he would appear in front of the House Judiciary Committee later in the month and discussions revolved around the GOP’s claims he should be impeached due to his handling of the “crisis at the border.” Kevin McCarthy’s announcement that he raised $21.7 million in his second quarter fundraising campaign was the talking point of various sites. They highlighted his claims that Americans are donating to republicans because they are protecting the border by investigating “the Biden administration’s detrimental actions to the American public.”
• The fifth spike was on the 18th with sites in the right-wing ecosystem focused on migrants at the southern border. A broadcast by Fox News and other articles claimed there was another “caravan” making way towards the border. An article by Breitbart emphasized the economic strain they claim the undocumented put on those living in Massachusetts and discussed Gov. Healey’s plan for aiding recently arrived migrants. They claim migrants are being housed “at taxpayers’ expense” and the state is supporting “thousands of handout-demanding illegals arriving from the Third World.”
• The next spike occurred on the 25th and saw several sites focused on fentanyl and cartels in relation to migrants coming to the United States. There were multiple articles celebrating FL Rep. Matt Gaetz’s introduction of the End Birthright Citizenship Fraud Act of 2023. Breitbart quoted Gaetz claiming “birthright citizenship has been grossly and blatantly misapplied for decades” and is a “loophole for illegal aliens” while threading in their own white nationalist rhetoric. In addition, several articles mentioned the CA federal judge who blocked the Biden Administration’s rule that migrants can be denied the right to seek asylum if they do not first apply online or seek protection in another country.
• The last spike was on the 30th with Breitbart running an article discussing migrants in NY. The article claimed that migrants are costing the state $8 million per day and are the cause of social services being cut. There was also a screening of Sound of Freedom at Capital Hill for members of congress that sparked conversation surrounding unaccompanied children and Biden’s border policies.