Noem announced an arrest of a 54-year-old man who was living in the U.S. illegally, saying he had written a letter threatening to kill Trump and would then return to Mexico. The story received a flood of media attention and was highlighted by the White House and Trump’s allies.

But investigators actually believe the man may have been framed so that he would get arrested and be deported from the U.S. before he got a chance to testify in a trial as a victim of assault, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

Law enforcement officials believe the man, Ramon Morales Reyes, never wrote a letter that Noem and her department shared with a message written in light blue ink expressing anger over Trump’s deportations and threatening to shoot him in the head with a rifle at a rally. Noem also shared the letter on X along with a photo of Morales Reyes, and the White House also shared it on its social media accounts. The letter was mailed to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office along with the FBI and other agencies, the person said.

  • IamSparticles@lemmy.zipEnglish
    3·
    7 hours ago

    As part of the investigation, officials had contacted Morales Reyes and asked for a handwriting sample and concluded his handwriting and the threatening letter didn’t match and that the threat was not credible, the person said. It’s not clear why Homeland Security officials still decided to send a release making that claim.

    There’s no great leap of logic required here. It furthers their narrative that illegal immigrants are an immediate threat to the security of the country when they can point to one and say “See? This guy was plotting to assassinate the president!” It’s just like the whole hoax about Hatians eating pets. They knew that wasn’t true either. But It plays well with their audience, so they want it circulating in the news cycle as much as possible because it reinforces what those people already believe.

  • futatorius@lemm.ee
    3·
    9 hours ago

    Anyone who’d shoot their own dog out of meanness should be in a cage, not public office. And it’s no surprise she’s also a liar.

  • henfredemars@infosec.pubEnglish
    15·
    2 days ago

    Doesn’t matter. Anyone with sense wouldn’t believe it, and those without sense have already finished activating their xenophobic fear centers. The lie was successful.

  • Eeyore_Syndrome@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    12·
    2 days ago

    Worse is I heard this on a local FM propaganda transmission in Massachusetts. Fuck IHeartRadio fascists lol.

    This is why I only listen to local college/radio radio.