Sen. Katie Britt Faces Backlash for Misleading Story in State of the Union Response

Critics accuse the senator of exploiting a sex trafficking victim's story to inaccurately attack President Biden's border policies.

Sen. Katie Britt's State of the Union response, which criticized President Biden's border policies using a misleading story about a sex trafficking victim, has sparked widespread criticism.
The story Britt used, about a Mexican woman trafficked from 2004 to 2008, inaccurately implicated current U.S. border policies, as the events occurred under President George W. Bush's administration and not in the U.S.
Critics, including journalists and political figures, accuse Britt of dishonesty and exploiting a sensitive issue for political gain, with some calling her speech a failure and damaging to her credibility.
The victim, Karla Jacinto Romero, was not informed that her story would be used in Britt's speech, raising concerns about the exploitation of trafficking victims' experiences for political purposes.
Despite the backlash, Britt's spokesperson defended the speech, claiming it highlighted the real issue of trafficking by cartels, while opponents argue it misrepresents facts and misleads the public.