I'm still unsure precisely when "social media influencer" became a career option, but it's fully up and running now. Among the many bad things about TikTok is the way that otherwise unproductive individuals can suddenly build huge followings, frequently spewing dangerous nonsense. One of the recent rising "stars" in this field is Leonel Moreno, an illegal migrant from Venezuela who now lives in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. His Spanish-language channels (also on Instagram) have attracted hundreds of thousands of followers. And now he has a widely-viewed video in which he encourages everyone to go out and panhandle for money and donate it to raise bail for a 15-year-old Venezuelan migrant named Jesus Alejandro Rivas-Figueroa, who recently shot a tourist in Times Square and engaged in a gun battle with the police. Incredibly, the video has racked up millions of views. This is apparently the "new normal" in Joe Biden's America. (NY Post)

A brash Venezuelan migrant with nearly 300,000 social media followers is urging his comrades to “unite” in support of the 15-year-old from his home country who allegedly fired at cops after blasting a tourist in the leg in Times Square.

Leonel Moreno, who goes by @leitooficial_25 on TikTok and Instagram and appears to live in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio with his partner and their three-month-old daughter, has also posted videos bragging about earning money by begging on the streets, and collecting government handouts.

“I invite you to look for [his] mother and all of us join to pay the bail, so that this young Venezuelan feels that you’re not alone in difficult times, but remembers that there is a God up there who sees. Today it could be him, tomorrow it could be you…He did something wrong, it’s okay,” Moreno says in a Feb. 12 TikTok seen 2 million times.

This is what passes for "values" among the migrants flooding the nation. While the things that Moreno is saying are unfortunately accurate for the most part, they also help to explain why the situation has deteriorated so badly. He excuses the actions of the shooter as being "okay." He then goes on to suggest that God is on the boy's side also, implying that the shooter is somehow being "persecuted" by being placed in jail while awaiting trial on attempted murder charges.

So what is the proposed solution? Setting up a bail fund for somewhat is not all that uncommon, but that requires cash, something that most migrants don't have in large amounts beyond the generous, prepaid gift cards they receive at the taxpayer's expense. To get around that problem, Moreno advises his fellow migrants to take to the streets and beg for money. He infuriatingly states that in America, "everything is given away [if] you know how to look.” 

On the one hand, it's easy to understand why someone like Moreno would believe that "everything is given away" in America. Why wouldn't he think that? Biden and his supporters practically advertise that idea around the globe. That is precisely why the migrant invasion has already soared past crisis levels. Not only is the White House providing no disincentives to illegally cross our borders, but Democratic leaders in blue cities around the country are actively offering incentives to do so. The generous and charitable nature of most American citizens is also contributing. Moreno claims that he has made as much as $275 in three hours by badgering people for money when they are stopped at traffic lights. Good "work" if you can get it, eh?

Leonel Moreno may not be particularly bright, however. He wants other migrants to panhandle for money to bail Rivas-Figueroa out of jail. But the judge in the case already ordered the dangerous migrant to be held without bail and to face trial as an adult. (That's the only reason we can release the 15-year-old's name.) Still, the shooter is being held up as some sort of folk hero in the illegal migrant community now. You might imagine that if someone was fortunate enough to be allowed to illegally enter our country and be given free housing, food, and prepaid debit cards, they might express a bit of gratitude to the government and the taxpayers who foot the bill for all of this. 

You might also expect them to be on their best behavior and to encourage their fellow illegal migrants to do the same. But that's not how this situation is playing out. We do not need an army of unproductive, violent ingrates permeating our society. None of this is Moreno's direct responsibility, of course. He's a symptom of the problem, not a root cause. We're in this mess because of the policies of Joe Biden and the Democrats, as well as the members of the legacy media who continue to provide cover for them.