Senator Katie Britt slammed after she defends use of decades-old anecdote in SOTU rebuttal

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA: In the GOP rebuttal to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address, Senator Katie Britt of Alabama stirred controversy by sharing a harrowing anecdote of human trafficking during her speech on Thursday evening, March 7.

The 42-year-old Republican senator, speaking from her kitchen table in Birmingham, Alabama, took aim at President Biden's immigration and border policies, drawing attention to what she described as a crisis at the southern border.

However, Britt's emotive storytelling - particularly her account of a 12-year-old trafficking victim - has sparked outrage and accusations of misinformation. The incident she recounted actually occurred 20 years ago in Mexico during George W Bush's presidency, not under President Biden's watch as implied.

Defending the anecdote

Speaking to Fox News Sunday host Shannon Bream, Senator Britt defended her use of the anecdote, clarifying that she never claimed it happened under the current administration.

"Well, I very clearly said I spoke to a woman who told me about when she was trafficked when she was 12. So I didn't say a teenager, I didn't say a young woman. A grown woman – a woman – when she was trafficked when she was 12," Britt explained.

Despite the clarification, critics argue that the timing of the story's presentation during the rebuttal created a misleading impression.

The anecdote in question revolves around Karla Jacinto Romero, who was trafficked at the age of 12 in Mexico City in 2004. "She had been sex trafficked by the cartels starting at age 12. She told me not just that she was raped every day, but how many times a day she was raped," Britt told viewers.

"The cartels put her on a mattress in a shoebox of a room, and they sent men through that door, over and over again, for hours and hours on end," she continued. "We wouldn't be OK with this happening in a third-world country. This is the United States of America, and it's past time we start acting like it."

Despite the historical context, Senator Britt stands by her decision to share the story, stating that she intended to "bring some light" on the issue of human trafficking and the exploitation of women by drug cartels. She said she hoped "the media actually decides to cover" the crux of the crisis and not obsess over the timeline of events.

Britt's impassioned speech, which lasted 18 minutes, received backlash from liberals and even drew mockery from actress Scarlett Johansson on 'Saturday Night Live'. Former AP journalist Jonathan Katz criticized Britt's presentation, accusing her of exploiting a tragic event for personal and political gain.

"Britt tells it like she was sitting by the banks of the Rio Grande holding her hand, getting her to tell the story she won't tell anyone else," Katz remarked. "This senator has gone around telling the story over and over again as if she was describing actions that took place on or even near the US border during Joe Biden's presidency."

"It goes beyond misleading," he continued, adding, "It just looks like she got on national television and lied about something really horrific and really important for her own personal and her party's political gain."

Britt, who has made immigration one of her top priorities since assuming office, has aligned herself closely with former President Donald Trump's stance on the issue. Notably, Trump endorsed Britt during her primary campaign in 2022.

Despite the backlash, Senator Britt remains steadfast in her advocacy for stricter border policies and increased efforts to combat human trafficking. She has previously visited the Del Rio Sector in Texas, where she engaged in discussions with survivors of trafficking and learned about cartel activities in Mexico, the Daily Mail reported.

Social media backlash

Senator Britt, who is married to former NFL player Wesley Britt and is a mother of two, was excoriated on social media despite her "clarification" on using the decades-old anecdote.

"She should be removed, we dont need liars in our Government," one posted on X.

"She owes Biden and the entire country an apology for lying. Crocodile tears while she lies but making sure her cross is visible. The hypocrisy is astounding," another wrote.

"But there's no way that 'clarification' will make it to most of the people who watched the original broadcast," someone else added.

"The nerve of this woman getting on national TV and lying to the American people. Maybe she can get away with that in Alabama but not on the national front," another offered.

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