This May Be Trump's Worst Cover-Up: CNN

[Stuart G]

https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/26/opinions/trump-migrant-child-death-cover-up-opinion-obeidallah/index.html

By Dean Obeidallah
Updated 11:08 AM ET, Mon May 27, 2019 .
Warning: very sad, but totally true.
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Speaker Nancy Pelosi made headlines -- and outraged Donald Trump -- this week by declaring that, "We believe that the President of The United States is engaged in a cover-up." In this case, Pelosi was speaking of Trump's stonewalling of requests by House Democrats for information, such as his tax returns.

But there's potentially an even more appalling cover-up by Trump -- or by some in his administration -- that concerns the death of a 10-year-old migrant girl just five weeks before the November 2018 midterm elections that the Trump administration didn't reveal at the time to the American public. In fact, we only learned about the death of 10-year-old Darlyn Cristabel Cordova-Valle, a migrant from El Salvador, this past week thanks to an investigation by CBS News. As CBS reported, and the Trump administration has now confirmed, this young girl died on September 29, 2018, of "a fever and respiratory distress" after complications from surgery that left her in a coma. A Health and Human Services spokesperson said that she had a history of congenital heart defects and was in a "medically fragile" state when she came into US custody.

Six migrant children have died in US custody, or soon after being released, since September 2018. In contrast, according to the Office of Refugee Resettlement that the Department of Homeland Security, Darlyn was the first migrant child to die in federal custody since 2010.

Her death poses a few vitally important questions: Has the Trump administration failed to inform us of other migrant children who have died in US custody? How do we prevent these deaths in the future? And why did Trump and his officials not reveal Darlyn's death to the American public for nearly eight months?

This last question is not just about politics but potentially about life and death as well. HHS has said that reporting requirements don't mandate they tell the media of such deaths, as reasoning for why it was not reported sooner. But there's no doubt that if we learned about Darlyn's death in September 2018, it would've made headlines as the first migrant child death in US custody in years. Would that media coverage have resulted in US Border Patrol, and others caring for these children, to change their procedures for the better, possibly saving the lives of the two young migrant children, 7-year-old Jakelin Caal and 8-year-old Felipe Gómez Alonzo, who died just two months later? We will never know that.

And we need to know if Darlyn's death was intentionally kept from us in September by Trump or his administration because they knew such news only five weeks before the midterm elections could have adversely impacted the GOP. Keep in mind Trump's closing sales pitch in the last months of the 2018 campaign was that the migrants posed a threat to America and only the GOP could keep us safe.

For example, Trump dubbed the people in the caravan of people approaching our southern border an "invasion" that included "some very bad thugs and gang members." And Trump's October 22, 2018 tweet shortly before the midterms said point blank to "blame the Democrats" for the caravans of migrants trying to enter the country "illegally," adding, "Remember the Midterms!"

Just imagine if in the closing weeks of the midterm election we learned about the death of a 10-year-old, innocent girl. It would've required Trump and his regime to answer questions about this child's death, likely undermining or at least distracting from Trump's mantra that migrants are a grave threat to our country. Could this have tipped some more House seats -- or even control of the Senate -- in the direction of the Democrats?

Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro was absolutely right when, upon hearing the news of Darlyn's death on Wednesday, he declared, "It's outrageous that another child has died in government custody and that the Trump administration didn't tell anybody." Castro, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, added, "They covered up her death for eight months, even though we were actively asking the question about whether any child had died or been seriously injured."

[Ohiogal]

1. I hate to say it

But I think that the deaths of migrant children don’t bother them all that much.

I have read comments from right wingers who blame these deaths on the parents of these children for bringing them on such a long, dangerous journey. (they never stop to think that maybe these families are attempting to escape death threats from gangs in their home towns and villages).

The “pro-life” party, my ass.

[Stuart G]

2. I don't think that the deaths of migrant children bother Trump at all.

It appears that he only cares about himself. He is an awful human being in my opinion.

[saidsimplesimon]

4. "awful", despicable, un-American

ugly, corpulent, greedy bastard

[onecaliberal]

3. They aren't even a tiny bit concerned you can see by the lack of reaction

to the deaths. It is crimes against humanity.

[JDC]

5. So "pro life" this administration.

[sellitman]

7. How could you say this?

They are very pro good ole white babies. Or white fetuses. Or pasty old white men.

[NBachers]

6. Another notch in the Trump / Republican Cudgel of Death.

Where are all the missing trafficked children?

[gordianot]

8. Trump commits all his crimes in plain sight and for the most part does not cover them up.

Trump is by profession a liar and criminal.

[gademocrat7]

9. Evil bastard and his cabal.

They should be tried for crimes against humanity.

[SayItLoud]

10. tRUMP care about anyone other than himself? NOPE.

Not even Ivanka comes before himself. It's a medical fact; narcissists only care about themselves.