At least eight New York Times authors shared a deceptively edited quote Monday from President Donald Trump’s recent call with state governors, creating the false impression that the president is denying federal support for ventilators that are needed in hospitals treating coronavirus patients.
In his message, the president recommended that states procure respirators and ventilators because it would be faster — but added that the federal government “will be backing you.”
The Times journalists omitted the bulk of the president’s statement as they shared the story on social media. The misleading, partial quote was also boosted by a CNN correspondent and became the lead headline at the left-wing Huffington Post.
Despite growing online backlash to this misinformation, the journalists have yet to delete or retract their comments.
The eight journalists tweeted a link to a Times article published Monday that contains President Trump’s full statement to state governors in which the president recommended that they shouldn’t wait for the federal government to fill the growing demand for respirators needed to treat people with coronavirus.
Inside the hottest party in town as royal mania takes over Washington
Rep Cory Mills draws first Republican challenger as sexual misconduct allegations, expulsion threat mount
FBI raids Minneapolis childcare facilities, part of sweeping fraud investigation
Mike Johnson says King Charles’s speech to Congress will be a ‘unifying event’
Recall Issued for Fitness Item Amid Dangerous Injuries: 50K Units Affected, Victims’ Bones Broken
Democrat Governor Hopeful’s SPLC Board Tenure Overlapped with Alleged Payments to Extremist ‘Informants’
SPLC kept paying Aryan Nations operatives after bragging about bankrupting them
Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is running for mayor of St. Pete
AI boom tests GOP’s midterm affordability pitch as price pain spreads
WHCA shooting exposes concerns over succession security, number of ‘celebrity’ Cabinet officials at big events
Congress responds to WHCA attack with five separate bills to build Trump’s ballroom
Jasmine Crockett’s social media posts about WHCD shooting show different tones
Mentalist Oz Pearlman to skip Kimmel appearance after Trump dinner shooting
Wisconsin teacher placed on leave after social media post advocating to ‘make Americans great assassins again’
Mamdani and King Charles to attend 9/11 ceremony in New York City: What to know
“Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment — try getting it yourselves,” President Trump told the governors during the Monday conference call. “We will be backing you, but try getting it yourselves. Point of sales, much better, much more direct if you can get it yourself.”
But in the body of their posts, the Times journalists left out most of what the president said.
Times national correspondent Julie Bosman tweeted only the first third of the president’s statement, leaving out the part where he said the federal government will back the states.
Wow.
“Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment — try getting it yourselves,” Mr. Trump told the governors during the conference call. via @jmartNYT https://t.co/RKZusLK5oY
— Julie Bosman (@juliebosman) March 16, 2020
Inside the hottest party in town as royal mania takes over Washington
Rep Cory Mills draws first Republican challenger as sexual misconduct allegations, expulsion threat mount
FBI raids Minneapolis childcare facilities, part of sweeping fraud investigation
Mike Johnson says King Charles’s speech to Congress will be a ‘unifying event’
Recall Issued for Fitness Item Amid Dangerous Injuries: 50K Units Affected, Victims’ Bones Broken
Democrat Governor Hopeful’s SPLC Board Tenure Overlapped with Alleged Payments to Extremist ‘Informants’
SPLC kept paying Aryan Nations operatives after bragging about bankrupting them
Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is running for mayor of St. Pete
AI boom tests GOP’s midterm affordability pitch as price pain spreads
WHCA shooting exposes concerns over succession security, number of ‘celebrity’ Cabinet officials at big events
Congress responds to WHCA attack with five separate bills to build Trump’s ballroom
Jasmine Crockett’s social media posts about WHCD shooting show different tones
Mentalist Oz Pearlman to skip Kimmel appearance after Trump dinner shooting
Wisconsin teacher placed on leave after social media post advocating to ‘make Americans great assassins again’
Mamdani and King Charles to attend 9/11 ceremony in New York City: What to know
Bosman, reacting to intense backlash, defended herself by inaccurately claiming that “the second part of the quote repeats the first part, twice.” In fact, the second part of the president’s statement says that the federal government “will be backing you [the states].”
because the second part of the quote repeats the first part, twice.
— Julie Bosman (@juliebosman) March 16, 2020
Mara Gay, a member of the Times editorial board, also left out most of what the president said. She also falsely accused the president of telling governors that “they are on their own.” In actuality, the president said in his full quote that the federal government “will be backing you.”
Inside the hottest party in town as royal mania takes over Washington
Rep Cory Mills draws first Republican challenger as sexual misconduct allegations, expulsion threat mount
FBI raids Minneapolis childcare facilities, part of sweeping fraud investigation
Mike Johnson says King Charles’s speech to Congress will be a ‘unifying event’
Recall Issued for Fitness Item Amid Dangerous Injuries: 50K Units Affected, Victims’ Bones Broken
Democrat Governor Hopeful’s SPLC Board Tenure Overlapped with Alleged Payments to Extremist ‘Informants’
SPLC kept paying Aryan Nations operatives after bragging about bankrupting them
Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is running for mayor of St. Pete
AI boom tests GOP’s midterm affordability pitch as price pain spreads
WHCA shooting exposes concerns over succession security, number of ‘celebrity’ Cabinet officials at big events
Congress responds to WHCA attack with five separate bills to build Trump’s ballroom
Jasmine Crockett’s social media posts about WHCD shooting show different tones
Mentalist Oz Pearlman to skip Kimmel appearance after Trump dinner shooting
Wisconsin teacher placed on leave after social media post advocating to ‘make Americans great assassins again’
Mamdani and King Charles to attend 9/11 ceremony in New York City: What to know
Trump told governors this morning they are on their own:
“Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment — try getting it yourselves,” Mr. Trump told the governors during the conference call, a recording of which was shared with The New York Times. https://t.co/K0sont7MBc— Mara Gay (@MaraGay) March 16, 2020
Just ten days ago, Gay was involved in another embarrassing episode for corporate media, where she and MSNBC anchor Brian Williams horribly botched basic math to claim that billionaire Michael Bloomberg could have “given every American a million dollars.” In reality, the amount he spent amounts to less than $2 per person.
Other Times journalists who tweeted out only the first part of the president’s quote include chief White House correspondent Peter Baker, Northwest reporter Mike Baker, arts reporter Michael Cooper, investigative reporter Sharon LaFraniere, editor Clifford Levy, and contributor Aaron E. Carroll.
Trump tells governors not to wait for federal government to look for needed medical equipment on their own. “Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment—try getting it yourselves,” he told them on the call, according to recording obtained by @jmartNYT https://t.co/vlOR08SeXK
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) March 16, 2020
Inside the hottest party in town as royal mania takes over Washington
Rep Cory Mills draws first Republican challenger as sexual misconduct allegations, expulsion threat mount
FBI raids Minneapolis childcare facilities, part of sweeping fraud investigation
Mike Johnson says King Charles’s speech to Congress will be a ‘unifying event’
Recall Issued for Fitness Item Amid Dangerous Injuries: 50K Units Affected, Victims’ Bones Broken
Democrat Governor Hopeful’s SPLC Board Tenure Overlapped with Alleged Payments to Extremist ‘Informants’
SPLC kept paying Aryan Nations operatives after bragging about bankrupting them
Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is running for mayor of St. Pete
AI boom tests GOP’s midterm affordability pitch as price pain spreads
WHCA shooting exposes concerns over succession security, number of ‘celebrity’ Cabinet officials at big events
Congress responds to WHCA attack with five separate bills to build Trump’s ballroom
Jasmine Crockett’s social media posts about WHCD shooting show different tones
Mentalist Oz Pearlman to skip Kimmel appearance after Trump dinner shooting
Wisconsin teacher placed on leave after social media post advocating to ‘make Americans great assassins again’
Mamdani and King Charles to attend 9/11 ceremony in New York City: What to know
NEW: “Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment — try getting it yourselves,” Mr. Trump told governors during a conference call this morning, according to a recording shared with The New York Times.https://t.co/TjEeqqAysu
— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) March 16, 2020
“Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment — try getting it yourselves,” Mr. Trump told the governors during the conference call, a recording of which was shared with The New York Times https://t.co/loOEN0LpUa
— Michael Cooper (@coopnytimes) March 16, 2020
Some governors were surprised to get this message from Trump, @jmart reports: “Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment — try getting it yourselves,” Mr. Trump told the governors during the conference call. https://t.co/x5T6Oril13
— Sharon LaFraniere (@SharonLNYT) March 16, 2020
Trump told governors they should not wait for the federal government to fill growing demand for respirators.
“Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment — try getting it yourselves,” Mr. Trump said.https://t.co/A14I2TiTvZ— Cliff Levy (@cliffordlevy) March 16, 2020
The official Times twitter account also omitted the majority of the president’s quote when it pushed out the article on Monday.
CNN’s Oliver Darcy also shared the incomplete quote and has not addressed the dozens of fact checks in response.
Inside the hottest party in town as royal mania takes over Washington
Rep Cory Mills draws first Republican challenger as sexual misconduct allegations, expulsion threat mount
FBI raids Minneapolis childcare facilities, part of sweeping fraud investigation
Mike Johnson says King Charles’s speech to Congress will be a ‘unifying event’
Recall Issued for Fitness Item Amid Dangerous Injuries: 50K Units Affected, Victims’ Bones Broken
Democrat Governor Hopeful’s SPLC Board Tenure Overlapped with Alleged Payments to Extremist ‘Informants’
SPLC kept paying Aryan Nations operatives after bragging about bankrupting them
Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is running for mayor of St. Pete
AI boom tests GOP’s midterm affordability pitch as price pain spreads
WHCA shooting exposes concerns over succession security, number of ‘celebrity’ Cabinet officials at big events
Congress responds to WHCA attack with five separate bills to build Trump’s ballroom
Jasmine Crockett’s social media posts about WHCD shooting show different tones
Mentalist Oz Pearlman to skip Kimmel appearance after Trump dinner shooting
Wisconsin teacher placed on leave after social media post advocating to ‘make Americans great assassins again’
Mamdani and King Charles to attend 9/11 ceremony in New York City: What to know
Trump to governors: “Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment — try getting it yourselves" https://t.co/E3Y24vhxot
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) March 16, 2020
All of the posts were still up at the time of this writing, despite mounting criticism about their accuracy.
Story cited here.
