A comment President Trump made almost a year ago has recently gained new life on the Left (and among many in the media) with help from a tweet that went viral. However, the person whose tweet helped re-launch an entirely false narrative about Trump calling all asylum-seekers “animals” has now taken it back in light of facts that were available as far back as eleven months ago:
I have learned that Trump's comments were in response to a specific question about MS-13 members and not about asylum seekers more broadly. I have chosen to delete the tweet, but am copying it here. My apologies for not being more accurate. pic.twitter.com/oDTdNvzSdq
— Mark Elliott (@markmobility) April 8, 2019
As far as many are concerned, it’s a case of way too little far too late:
Thank you for this.
However, it should not have taken 3 days.
I would suspect that you were happy to benefit from the spreading of misinformation.
How many followers and attention did you gain before this correction?
— vizz504 (@vizz504) April 8, 2019
Damage already done.
— John Ayres (@JohnAyr12294351) April 8, 2019
It’s intentional. He waits to apologize until after the news cycle – now his “hands are clean” even tho the narrative has taken on a life of its own. So the damage is done, but his conscience is clear. Win-win for the disingenuous.
— Deb Williams (@debwilliams) April 8, 2019
This is a total lie, man. You don’t recycle content from a year ago and magically exclude the date but not the cspan thumb. Add in the hundreds of thousands of corrections and links…
Are you connected to any political groups? Would be interesting to find that out
— brock (@206bmore) April 8, 2019
It would be better if you admitted it was intentional in the first place and then apologized for that. Because you knew. You’re just like everyone else who pretends they didn’t.
— LynsMartinis (@LynsMartinis) April 8, 2019
Recommended
Not being more accurate! LOL. You perpetrated and awful lie.
— Al Swearengen’s Stare (@Ilikehockeyfig1) April 8, 2019
This is how viral, false tweets should be dealt with.
That said, I am skeptical that the author could have missed three days of people correcting him, or that he could have found and uploaded the video while not knowing the full context https://t.co/QcYYQdBZiU
— Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) April 8, 2019
This “correction” not getting the same attention from .@DNC presidential candidates numerous & #FakeNews talking heads. Mission accomplished Mark!
— Jim Regan?? (@Jbones72) April 8, 2019
Only took 3 days, thousands of people calling you out, and news reports from last year that clarified his comments. https://t.co/5Ct85WZ0OD
— Alex Joshua (@_alex_joshua) April 8, 2019
One thing’s for sure: The above tweet will only get a small percentage of the traction that the original did.