Vice President Mike Pence will speak at this year’s NRA convention, and some media outlets took the opportunity to try and create a case for hypocrisy that doesn’t in fact exist. Here’s the approach taken:
"Wait, wait, wait, wait …" https://t.co/8ZKR5rB4Kn
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) April 29, 2018
“NRA convention bans guns to protect Mike Pence”? Slate took that baton from HuffPost and ran with it:
Parkland survivors mock NRA for banning guns during Pence speech at convention. https://t.co/Knf3anObED pic.twitter.com/KcHtqL0rq6
— Slate (@Slate) April 29, 2018
And they got an assist from the Washington Post:
The NRA said guns will be banned during a Pence speech. Parkland students see hypocrisy. https://t.co/k6SW4HwM70
— Maureen Groppe (@mgroppe) April 30, 2018
A great number of pro-gun control/anti-NRA types on social media are helping spread those stories around (that are merely Everytown talking points disguised as news reports), but there’s just one problem:
Now I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure that the Secret Service is the group who is barring the guns. https://t.co/oCu6kOEI9Q
— SalenaZito (@SalenaZito) April 30, 2018
Fact check: TRUE:
The NRA did not say this. The Secret Service did, as it always does. https://t.co/Hc3tTIckNZ
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) April 30, 2018
No. The Secret Service said this. They also set up magnetometers and inspect everyone's stuff. NRA folks I know would like to be allowed to carry at the show, but would rather see the president. Looks like Trump is going. https://t.co/jkSTLClDK5
— David Martosko (@dmartosko) April 30, 2018
HuffPost, Slate and others won’t let facts ruin a perfectly acceptable liberal narrative though.
The NRA did not say this. The Secret Service did, as it always does.
— ThisConservativePeach (@ConservaPeach) April 30, 2018
Please Maureen tell us what NRA member said that? This is a Secret Service directive but please keep misinforming people!
— JustJen??❤️ (@HoppJen) April 30, 2018
https://twitter.com/AmericanPat81/status/990806446894968832
Are we still doing this? Still pretending it's not the Secret Service? https://t.co/lQ3V79kBr6
— Currently between fraudulent suspensions (@jtLOL) April 30, 2018
https://twitter.com/colonel_potter/status/990778183250300928
The secret service does not permit firearms anywhere near POTUS or VPOTUS. You’re either deeply stupid or dishonest. https://t.co/D1PvynkYoO
— Medicore Internet Person (@thatbillokeefe) April 30, 2018
Maybe “a little of both” is the answer. The WaPo story got to the facts… eventually:
Paragraph 7: “The NRA is complying with laws that prohibit firearms from being brought into areas where Secret Service protectees visit, agency spokesman Shawn L. Holtzclaw told The Washington Post”
Solid journalisming job once again. https://t.co/dVMF3izknv
— Orange Muppet Energy (@sunnyright) April 30, 2018
And yet these media outlets actually wonder why Trump’s accusations of a dishonest media resonate with so many?
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