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.
“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.