White House calls CNN a 'total disgrace' for skipping event honoring victims of illegal immigrant crime

White House officials Kaelan Dorr and Karoline Leavitt blast CNN for insufficient coverage of ceremony honoring families slain by illegal immigrants. Media White House calls CNN a 'total disgrace' for skipping event honoring victims of illegal immigrant crime 'CNN doesn't care about the victims of illegal alien crime,' the White House press secretary wrote By Alexander Hall Fox News Published February 23, 2026 8:00pm EST Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Angel family member praises Trump: 'You are the man' Jody Jones, whose brother Rocky was murdered by an illegal immigrant, thanked President Donald Trump during an event Monday at the White House. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! CNN was called out by the White House on Monday for failing to provide live coverage of a ceremony honoring families of Americans killed by illegal immigrants. During the ceremony in the East Room of the White House, President Donald Trump honored families who have lost loved ones to crimes committed by illegal immigrants. "Throughout this hall, I am joined by heartbroken Americans who have lost parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, and treasured loved ones to the scourge of illegal immigration, let in by the past administration," Trump said. Several family members spoke during the ceremony, sharing personal stories about their loved ones. At the conclusion of the event, Trump signed a proclamation designating Feb. 22 as "National Angel Family Day." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed CNN in multiple tweets for failing to sufficiently cover President Donald Trump's event at the White House honoring the families of those killed by illegal immigrants. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) "We stand with the Angel Families, many of whom continue to be left without justice," the White House said in a statement. "And we recommit to carrying out the largest mass-deportation effort in our Nation’s history, getting the worst of the worst out of our country, and putting a stop to the violence targeting the brave men and women of law enforcement."CNN failed to cover the event during the 11 a.m. hour when it occurred, prompting deputy assistant to the President and White House deputy communications director Kaelan Dorr to note, "President Trump is currently hosting a truly tear jerking event, signing a proclamation honoring Angel Families," and slamming CNN’s lack of coverage as, "Sick. Disgusting. Mask is off." Shortly after the noon hour, the event was given an off-hand mention by CNN reporter Kristen Holmes when she said, "You‘re hearing [Trump] give these speeches saying essentially, even just now in this event that he was doing with these Angel Families, talking about how the media never gives him good coverage, he never gets credit for anything that he‘s doing."Dorr was not the only prominent voice to condemn insufficient coverage from CNN and other sources. "@CNN is a total disgrace," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote. "President Trump hosted a powerful event honoring Angel Families who lost loved ones at the hands of illegal alien criminals and deadly drugs – but CNN refused to cover EVEN one second of it. That’s because CNN doesn't care about the victims of illegal alien crime. They pretend to be a news organization, but they refuse to cover anything that doesn’t fit the Left’s narrative. This is why CNN is failing and losing all of their viewership. When NBC News senior White House correspondent Garrett Haake blasted Trump for attacking the media during the event, Leavitt replied, "The President was attacking the media because networks like yours refuse to cover the stories of Angel Families."CBS DIDN'T INCLUDE WHITE HOUSE STATEMENT ABOUT ANGEL PARENTS IN CECOT SEGMENT ON '60 MINUTES' President Donald Trump speaks during an event proclaiming "Angel Family Day" in the East Room of the White House on Feb. 23, 2026, in Washington. (Evan Vucci/AP)"Media bias isn’t just revealed in the stories that make headlines — it’s just as evident in the stories that never get told," Republican communicator Steve Guest suggested. "Case in point: The media's complete disinterest in stories of Americans who were murdered by illegal aliens." Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., argued, "If Everyday Americans knew the devastation these criminal illegal aliens have wrought on American citizens, they would turn their back on the [Democrats]."CNN's digital platforms covered the event as an article, one which noted for context that, "The president, through both of his terms in office, has often spoken about ‘angel families’ as he justifies the White House’s hardline policies on illegal immigration. There is no data supporting the argument that immigrants are prone to committing crime or terrorism at higher rates than the general population."A CNN spokesperson also told Fox News Digital, "At the time of the White House event, CNN was covering the breaking news around the historic blizzard impacting millions of Americans." CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE "Angel Families" gather at the White House for a