Cross posted to the MRC's NewsBusters blog
On Wednesday's State of Play, MS NOW host Peter Alexander concluded his show with a commentary blaming President Donald Trump for the alleged suicide of a Haitian national whose TPS status was revoked.
On Wednesday's State of Play, the same MS NOW that routinely ignores the thousands of Americans who are killed each year by illegal aliens (including murders and car crashes) made sure to blame President Donald Trump for the alleged suicide of a young Haitian man after his TPS status was revoked.
Picking up on the case of 20-year-old Pierre Damas Bel, host Peter Alexander closed the show with a commentary:
This morning, we end the show with a reminder that policy affects people. Policy is personal, and, in this example is also particularly crushing for one Ohio community -- 20 year-old Pierre Damas Bel was a varsity soccer player, the oldest of three siblings and a freshman at Wright State University in Ohio with dreams of earning a degree in medicine. He was also a Haitian immigrant at risk of being deported after the Trump administration abruptly stripped temporary protected status from Haitians this year, affecting 350,000 Haitian immigrants.
After noting that Bel was fitted with an ankle monitor by ICE, the MS NOW host recalled:
He wrote on Instagram last month, "I came here to this country to pursue my education. I didn't come here to commit a crime or to hurt anyone," detailing feelings of shame and humiliation. Having grown increasingly distraught on Monday morning, Pierre stepped into traffic on I-70 in Springfield, Ohio. He was hit and killed by a tractor trailer in what his family says they believe was a suicide from the shame and the taunting he had endured.
He added: "The Department of Homeland Security says the circumstances of Pierre's death remain under investigation. They say any attempt to blame ICE is false. Again, a reminder policy affects people."
After noting some of the bad conditions that still exist in Haiti, Alexander concluded: "If anyone doubts that, just ask Donald Trump's State Department, which gives Haiti a level four 'do not travel' advisory for its high risk of crime and kidnapping and terrorism. Policy, again, is personal. Our thoughts are with Pierre's family."
By contrast, viewers of MS NOW (or its predecessor MSNBC) would not expect to hear about Americans murdered by illegals (some allowed in by President Joe Biden), those killed in car crashes by illegals who were given drivers' licenses in blue states, or even the thousands of migrants who died crossing the border during the Biden administration. Immigration-related deaths are only treated as newsworthy if they can be used to drum up hostility to Republican policies.
Transcript follows:
MS NOW's State of Play
September 2, 2026
11:53 a.m.
PETER ALEXANDER: This morning, we end the show with a reminder that policy affects people. Policy is personal, and, in this example is also particularly crushing for one Ohio community -- 20 year-old Pierre Damas Bel was a varsity soccer player, the oldest of three siblings and a freshman at Wright State University in Ohio with dreams of earning a degree in medicine. He was also a Haitian immigrant at risk of being deported after the Trump administration abruptly stripped temporary protected status from Haitians this year, affecting 350,000 Haitian immigrants.
Pierre, who was a proud member of his high school's Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program, was recently fastened with an ankle monitor by ICE agents. He wrote on Instagram last month, "I came here to this country to pursue my education. I didn't come here to commit a crime or to hurt anyone," detailing feelings of shame and humiliation. Having grown increasingly distraught on Monday morning, Pierre stepped into traffic on I-70 in Springfield, Ohio. He was hit and killed by a tractor trailer in what his family says they believe was a suicide from the shame and the taunting he had endured.
The Department of Homeland Security says the circumstances of Pierre's death remain under investigation. They say any attempt to blame ICE is false. Again, a reminder policy affects people. Haiti has been under protective status since 2010, after it was devastated by a massive earthquake there. The Trump administration removed TPS status for Haitian immigrants -- migrants.
Some conditions have become better, but, in fact, life there remains desperate and dangerous. Haiti is overrun by armed gangs. It's ravaged by deadly diseases, shattered by a lack of government stability. If anyone doubts that, just ask Donald Trump's State Department, which gives Haiti a level four "do not travel" advisory for its high risk of crime and kidnapping and terrorism. Policy, again, is personal. Our thoughts are with Pierre's family.
. steve malzberg
