President Donald Trump shocked the nation on Sunday when the armed forces he stationed at the border to meet the migrant caravan traveling to the border deployed tear gas on the asylum seekers, many of whom included women and toddlers.
Tear gas assaults the mucous membranes to irritate skin and cause difficulty breathing, and creates a heat behind the eyes inducing them to water excessively.
Despite the gas being deployed against toddlers, some are still choosing to stick up for the President's policy. Among them is Trump critic-turned-ally Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
Graham defended the President in a series of tweets.
It is not illegal for people to enter the United States seeking asylum, but that hasn't stopped many members of the GOP from painting the caravan as a group of violent criminals seeking to invade the country.
Fortunately, Twitter users stepped up to the plate to correct Graham — and they didn't mince words.
Others called out Graham's reversal in his opinion of the President, whom he once called a "race-baiting, xenophobic bigot."
Many are speculating the reasons for Graham's constant defenses of Trump — even when these defenses pit him against public opinion.
Some seem certain that Russia has something to do with it.
The crisis at the border — which saw children still in diapers running to evade tear gas — has disgusted many. Though Trump still touted the effort, presenting it as a job well done, other Americans are furiously speaking out against it.
Earlier this year, when the President's administration received widespread outcry for locking babies in cages and separating immigrant families, people thought the United States had hit rock bottom in regards to its immigration policies. Now, many are comparing the inhumanity in both of these acts.
The excessive force at the Mexican border has exacerbated the crisis of conscience among Americans and likely the crisis at the border as well. The disturbing images of mothers scooping up their children in an effort to save them from the effects of the gas are wearing on the ethics of Americans everywhere.
Republicans like Lindsey Graham may be able to defend the President now, but it's likely public opinion will only remain on their side for so long.
