Katie Britt Affirms She Believed Sex-Trafficking Incident Did Not Occur During Biden’s Tenure

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., responded to recent criticism regarding her State of the Union address by clarifying that she did not imply the incidents she mentioned occurred during President Joe Biden’s term, as they date back almost 20 years.

Here are the key details:

• During her address, Britt recounted a story from a visit to Texas where she met a woman who had been sex trafficked and raped by members of Mexican cartels.
• Britt’s remarks seemed to tie these incidents to “President Biden’s border policies,” which she labeled as “a disgrace.”
• However, these events occurred in Mexico between 2004 and 2008, during President George W. Bush’s administration.
• When pressed about the details of the story on Fox News Sunday, Britt emphasized that she was speaking about a woman who had been trafficked at the age of 12, indicating that it was a past event.
• In response to Britt’s comments, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates accused her of perpetuating debunked lies to support border legislation, urging her to prioritize national security.
• Questions arose about the accuracy of Britt’s story after independent journalist Jonathan Katz raised concerns in a TikTok video, pointing out that the woman mentioned, Karla Jacinto Romero, had shared her story before Congress in 2015, during Bush’s presidency.
• Britt’s communications director confirmed that the story was about Romero but insisted that Britt’s account was entirely accurate.
• Saturday Night Live also joined the criticism, with actress Scarlett Johansson portraying Britt and humorously highlighting the abrupt shifts in tone during Britt’s remarks.

The controversy surrounding Britt’s anecdote underscores the ongoing debate over border policies and the accuracy of personal narratives in political discourse.