WHOOPS! Details about U.S. purchase of Alaska in CNN's Chris Cillizza's piece about Trump and Greenland required some editing

Doug P. | 1:33 PM on August 17, 2019

Reports about President Trump inquiring with advisers about the possibility of the U.S. buying Greenland has brought with it a number of hot takes. CNN’s Chris Cillizza had a Vox-style explainer about U.S. land purchases that later required editing:

Cillizza’s Folly: @CNN edited an article on Trump & Greenland where @CillizzaCNN criticized the purchase of Alaska for $7.2 million. “It didn't work out so well — and has gone down as ‘Seward's Folly’ in the history books.”@dcexaminer w/ @ellie_bufkin https://t.co/inNsGxAau9 pic.twitter.com/uzZRR90D5W

— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) August 17, 2019

Oops!

Imagine bringing up Alaska as a reason ***not*** to buy Greenland LOL

— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) August 17, 2019

History.com completes the picture:

Despite a slow start in U.S. settlement, the discovery of gold in 1898 brought a rapid influx of people to the territory, and Alaska, rich in natural resources, has contributed to American prosperity ever since.

Now at the bottom of Cillizza’s article at CNN the following appears: CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correctly state the history of US land purchases.

Every time the issue came up, historians have said that buying Alaska was generally a good idea https://t.co/PmM3m0vwLD

The fact critics *called* it folly doesn’t make it so. But I’m sure Alaskans appreciate @CillizzaCNN’s middle finger

— (((Aaron “Worthing” Walker))) (@AaronWorthing) August 17, 2019