Katie Britt misrepresents sex trafficking survivor's story in GOP rebuttal to Joe Biden's SOTU address

WASHINGTON, DC: Alabama Republican Senator Katie Britt finds herself embroiled in controversy after using what appears to be the harrowing experience of a sex trafficking survivor to criticize President Joe Biden's border policies.

Britt delivered the GOP rebuttal to Biden's State of the Union address to Congress this week, during which she referenced a visit to the Del Rio sector of the Texas border. “That’s where I spoke to a woman who shared her story with me,” Britt said in the video. “She had been sex trafficked by the cartels starting at the age of 12.”

The story unravels

However, it has come to light that the survivor Britt referenced was Karla Jacinto Romero, who was actually sex trafficked in Mexico, not the United States as the senator implied. Karla's ordeal occurred from 2004 to 2008, long before Biden assumed the presidency.

Journalist Jonathan Katz first pointed out the discrepancy in a TikTok video, exposing Britt's attempt to use the anecdote as a condemnation of Biden's border management.

“We wouldn’t be okay with this happening in a third-world country,” Britt stated. “President Biden’s border policies are a disgrace. This crisis is despicable.”

However, Karla Jacinto Romero's experience did not occur in the US during Biden's tenure, as she was trafficked in Mexico.

Katz criticized Britt for implying that Jacinto Romero privately divulged her experiences to her, emphasizing that Karla is a public advocate for sex trafficking awareness and has shared her story openly in various forums, including testimony before the US Congress, the Mexican House of Representatives, and the Vatican.

“Britt tells it like she’s sitting by the banks of the Rio Grande, like holding her hand, like getting her to tell the story that she won’t tell anyone else,” he said.

Senator Britt visited the Del Rio area in January 2023 alongside Senators Marsha Blackburn and Cindy Hyde-Smith. During this trip, Jacinto Romero appeared at a press conference with the senators, where she publicly recounted her traumatic experience with sex trafficking.

Critics push back against Katie Britt's claims

Critics, however, have condemned Britt's actions, accusing her of exploiting Jacinto Romero's story for political gain. Political scientist Norman Ornstein labeled Britt's behavior as "an embarrassment." He posted on X, “So not only was Katie Britt a flaming embarrassment. She is also an out and out liar. Alabama’s finest!”

Columnist Kyle Whitmire criticized her for blaming Biden for an assault that occurred two decades ago. “This was old Alabama politics. The politics of fear and confusion,” Whitmire wrote on X. “Britt blamed Biden for an assault that appears to have happened 20 years ago. Her spokesman won’t give a clear answer when asked.”

Christine Pelosi, political strategist and daughter of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, demanded an apology from Britt for "lying about the horrific case of sexual violence" for political purposes.

However, Britt's spokesperson Sean Ross doubled down on her claims. “The story Senator Britt told was 100% correct,” Ross said in a statement to CNBC. “But there are more innocent victims of that kind of disgusting, brutal trafficking by the cartels than ever before right now.”

Social media backlash

Social media erupted with condemnation, with many users branding Britt a liar and questioning her credibility.

"Just WOW!! It didn't happen in the United States; It happened in Mexico long before Biden was president or vice-president! Katie Britt is totally LYING!" one posted on X.

"A good Christian woman like Katie Britt told a blatant lie. It happened in Mexico when George W. Bush was president," another wrote.

"She not only lied, but she basically was on a theatrical set. This doesn't surprise me at all," someone else added.

"Crazy that getting worse was even possible for Katie. Poor thing," a comment read.

"Senator Katie Britt's rebuttal of the State of the Union was like watching a soap opera," another chimed in.

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