Being tough on illegal immigration was once as cool as saddle shoes and a poodle skirt, and not nearly as long ago as when those clothes were in style. Today taking a firm but reasoned approach to America’s immigration problems is now considered woefully out of fashion, like sporting a Hitler toothbrush mustache and jackboots at your local synagogue.

Fashion goes in and out of style, from bell bottoms to wide neck ties. Once upon a time it was cool to wear a powder blue leisure suit and sport long side burns and a mustache. Now it’s a silly look, except for a 70s themed party.

Lest you think I am jesting about Nazis, President Donald Trump has been called a Nazi by some prominent Republicans, including General Michael Hayden, and by many media types over his novel idea of enforcing existing immigration law.

The media is in a feeding frenzy, devoting virtually all network news coverage to Trump enforcing existing law, 176 minutes over several days. Now it’s cool for the media to be critical of immigration enforcement. Two years ago, in July 2016, the New York Times dipped its toe into the waters of criticism with an editorial concerned about children caged in the Obama detention centers. The rest of the media, however didn’t think it was cool to blast the sitting president and only devoted 6 minutes of coverage. Media outrage, out of style in the Obama era, now back at the height of fashion during the Trump presidency. It wasn’t always this way.

A president acting tough on immigration was fashionable just two years ago. ABC News cheerily ran an article in August 2016, “Obama has deported more people than any other president.” So there! Who might have such a headline been directed to? The first line of the ABC News article answers, “Donald Trump’s immigration plan is set to be announced later this week.” Anything to counter candidate Trump’s initial popularity over his tough stance on illegal immigration.

Fashion changed. Being tough on illegal immigration today is gauche. ABC News now says, “Uproar grows as administration digs in on child separation policy.” No uproar when Obama was the deporter-in-chief, only when Trump carries out the same executive duties as Obama. From bell bottoms to skinny jeans.

Left-wing Newsweek, in 2017, told us that President Trump, “the law and order candidate” had fallen short and that Obama had deported more illegal immigrants. They implied that Trump was soft on illegal immigration saying, “He hasn’t even managed to beat former President Barack Obama’s record.” Trump can’t hold a candle to their guy Barack, even on his signature issue of illegal immigration.

Fashion changed, in just a year. From Obama deporting every illegal he could find to a new style with the same Newsweek saying, “Trump separation policy backlash: Governors refuse to send national guard to border over inhumane treatment of children.” It wasn’t “inhumane” when Obama had kids in cages, but it certainly is when Trump does it. Neck ties to no ties.

New fashions for Newsweek. Cheering last year, outrage this year. They even acknowledge that, “Obama held more than double the number of children in shelters compared to Trump White House.” The captured children of Obama brought little criticism, and mostly praise as he was being a tough law and order kind of guy.

The immigration enforcement fashion of the Bush and Obama years were in style for General Hayden, Laura Bush, her brother-in-law Jeb, and the rest of the magpies in the media and Democratic Party. But when Trump does the same, not even as well as Obama according to Newsweek, these same strong-silent types are dripping with outrage, comparing Trump’s actions to Nazi concentration camps and our Japanese internment camps. My how quickly the fashion changed. What was “in” last year is definitely “out” this year.

Even Hillary Clinton was at one time tough on immigration, with no media outrage. In 2014, she believed that illegal child immigrants “should be sent back.” Not so much today as she happily piles on Trump for doing exactly what she recommended. From a pantsuit to a muumuu dress, the changing fashion.

As an interesting aside, Obama used the same “cages” to detain illegal border crossers as Trump is using now. The media believes it wasn’t really a “cage” when Obama did it, more like a suite at the Four Seasons. But fashion changes and last year’s hotel suites are this year’s animal cages.

Certainly, high fashion can change from one season to the next, but not official government policy, dictated by laws passed by Congress. Administrations may vary in how vigorously they enforce the laws they are charged with enforcing, but the law remains the same, unless Congress acts to change it. Which in the case of immigration law, Congress has not.

Instead the media finds itself in a John Kerry position of being in favor of deportations and detentions until they were against them. Kerry, a politician with his finger in the wind, changed his position, not due to reflection or contemplation, but purely for political expediency. In other words, his pollster told him to. Media motives are similar, the goal is overturning an election.

The final bit of proof is how the media reacted after strong-arming Trump to “cave” and sign an executive order preventing illegal immigrant children from being separated from their parents. But Trump snookered them, detaining the entire family, rather than releasing everyone, but “keeping families together” as the media and left demanded.

Yet they are howling just as loudly, even after their demands were met, just not in the way they wanted. When Obama wanted family detention, the media said ho-hum. When Trump wants it, he’s a Nazi.

What excuse does the media have? Honest journalists would compare and contrast the approaches of different administrations, find more similarities than differences, look at the reasons for detention and deportation, then offer ideas to improve the efficiency of the system. Thoughtful investigation and analysis, not wild-eyed hysteria.

Instead of journalists, we have community organizers with bylines, creating phantom issues for the sole purpose of influencing public opinion and future elections. Russia in their wildest dreams couldn’t have the influence on the American electoral process that the US media has.

So, we are treated with another manufactured outrage. From Russia, to Stormy, to immigration. The flavor of the month to beat on Trump and Republicans, all because of Trump’s success, popularity, and the upcoming midterms.

Brian C Joondeph, MD, MPS, a Denver based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.