Julio Rosas recalls shocking images at the border, details experiences during 2020 riots
The Townhall senior writer and author of ‘Fiery But Mostly Peaceful’ told Fox News Digital that there are many false narratives about the riots and the border from the media.
DALLAS -- Townhall senior reporter and author Julio Rosas seems to pop up wherever news is being made, from riots sparked by civil unrest to the crisis along the southern border, but feels the mainstream media only puts a spotlight on angles that fit the liberal agenda.
"Crime is kind of a blind spot with the media, when it comes to certain things, right? The Highland Park [July 4th shooting] for example, that was everywhere, but I was covering shootings in Chicago during that same weekend, and it was only the local outlets that were out there, there were no national outlets doing the same thing I was doing," Rosas told Fox News Digital at CPAC Texas. "It’s a blind spot when it doesn’t fit their narrative, I would say, and even then, I don’t think it’s a blind spot, I think it’s deliberate covering of their eyes."
Rosas, who penned "Fiery But Mostly Peaceful: The 2020 Riots and the Gaslighting of America," believes the 2020 riots he closely covered could impact the 2022 midterm elections because Americans care about law and order even if the media fails to inform voters.
"The effects of the riots are still very much with us today. We see that with high crime, we see that with progressive DAs not actually doing law and order in these big cities, and that all stems back to, unfortunately, what happened with George Floyd and I think we kind of lost the plot on that," Rosas said. "Obviously what happened to him was not good, but then it shifted to the extreme on the other side, and we’re just like, ‘Well, we’re going to let a lot of people go because equity, or because racial justice.’"
He noted that crimes such as smash-and-grabs are on the rise, particularly in cities run by progressives.
"I think the lack of law and order is definitely one of those issues that people have at the top of their minds in addition to the economy, in addition to inflation and the border crisis. It’s being compounded from everything and a lot of it stems back to the lawlessness that I saw and reported on in 2020," Rosas said.
Rosas' book title was inspired by the infamous CNN on-screen graphic that declared unrest that had taken place in Kenosha, Wis., following the police-involved shooting of Jacob Blake was "fiery but mostly peaceful."
Julio Rosas penned "Fiery But Mostly Peaceful: The 2020 Riots and the Gaslighting of America," the title of which was inspired by a widely mocked CNN chyron. (CNN)
CNN PANNED FOR ON-AIR GRAPHIC READING 'FIERY BUT MOSTLY PEACEFUL PROTEST' IN FRONT OF KENOSHA FIRE
During the unrest of 2020, Rosas traveled to a variety of chaotic scenes including the CHAZ Capitol Hill protests in Seattle, the "fiery but mostly peaceful" Kenosha riot and similar riots and protests around the nation. Along the way, he witnessed pivotal moments such as the burning of a police headquarters in Minneapolis, and he was on the scene for the Kyle Rittenhouse shootings, which he details in his book.
"I wrote it because I saw a lot of things and I wanted that cemented, but I also wanted to interview people who were also impacted by the riots, store owners, just regular everyday Americans because they also witnessed what happened. They were more affected by it than I was," he said. "My business wasn’t burnt down or looted, I was just there reporting on it."
Rosas has since been spending time on the ground in South Texas, reporting the crisis along the border.
"I think the mainstream media has done a decent job, but I mean, the bar is kind of low when it comes to that because they do pretty good when it comes to reporting on the monthly numbers, and some other things, but overall, I think they lost interest in it as time has gone on," he said. "It is an everyday story, that’s kind of the issue, right?"
"Fiery But Mostly Peaceful: The 2020 Riots and the Gaslighting of America" by Julio Rosas.
When it comes to the border, Rosas believes outlets would have to cover it on a daily basis in order to properly spotlight the ongoing issues.
"It’s very, very important, especially because of the ripple effects because, you know, this doesn’t just affect border towns. It affects the rest of the country. We see it not just with human trafficking, sex trafficking but also with the drug trafficking that is killing thousands of Americans on a monthly basis," Rosas said. "The media can do a lot better job… they have way more resources than myself at Townhall, but yet I go down there a lot [more] frequently than some of the other mainstream media."
He feels the Biden administration has incentivized migrants to attempt to illegally enter the country, which in turn results in more deaths.
"Probably the most shocking things that I have seen, and I have heard about, has been, just the death toll of the migrants… migrants dying trying to cross into the United States illegally is nothing new, but what is new under the Biden administration is the number," he said. "Obviously when you have more people coming in, the more chances are that you’re going to have people who aren’t going to, unfortunately, make it."
A life vest and a deflated raft are left in the brush on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande, as seen on a tour of the river with the Texas Department of Public Safety. When trafficked heavily, the grass becomes pushed down around these landing areas, creating easily distinguishable paths. ((Tyler Olson/Fox News))
During his trips to the southern border, Rosas has witnessed haunting visuals that have stayed with him.
"They’re pulling bodies out of the Rio Grande in Eagles Pass and Del Rio on a daily basis when before, it wasn’t like that, so I think that is something that hasn’t gotten enough attention and, of course, we all know why, it’s because it’s happening under a Democrat administration as opposed to a Republican," he said.
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Rosas told a story about a recent trip to the Mexican side of the border, right across from Eagle Pass, when he witnessed a seven-year old receive a life preserver vest by his family before they attempted to cross the river.
"They know how dangerous it is to cross, and potentially drown, so the fact that that’s basically the administration policy now, for little kids to put on a life jacket so they don’t drown in this very dangerous river, is very stark," he said. "Not a lot of people understand just how sad that is."
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Fox News’ Joshua Comins contributed to this report.