Last week, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser tweeted about the “three things” D.C. residents would need to have with them “before heading out”:
Remember that starting Saturday you will need these three things before heading out:
1. Proof of Vaccination (12 years +)
2. Proof of Vaccination and Photo ID (18 years +)
3. MaskFor more information visit https://t.co/1guYaUWd08. pic.twitter.com/0s6Aspnu2x
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) January 11, 2022
Conservatives pounced, of course. Among the pouncers were Sen. Marsha Blackburn:
Liberal logic: you need a photo ID to buy milk but not to vote. https://t.co/eVRMwss1Wt
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) January 12, 2022
And Sen. Ron Johnson:
Dems think it's racist to require voter ID but are happy to segregate the unvaxxed and require anyone leaving their home to have a photo ID, mask, and proof of vaccine.
Big Brother Dems want to divide us. How will they enforce? https://t.co/ZUr6i7FzjJ
— Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) January 12, 2022
Well, once Blackburn and Johnson got involved, it was time for CNN to step in and set the record straight. So that’s what Daniel Dale did:
Fact-checking false claims that DC requires photo ID or proof of vaccination to buy milk or leave your home https://t.co/OJzBiM8k06
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 17, 2022
Fact-checking whose false claims, CNN? Bowser’s?
Nope:
Two Republican senators amplified Bowser’s tweet in their own tweets. If they had clicked the link to get more information, however, they did not show it.
…
Facts First: Washington is not requiring photo ID or proof of Covid-19 vaccination from everyone leaving their home or from people buying groceries like milk. The new policy exempts grocery stores and other retail establishments, and it does not apply to people who are merely venturing outside their homes.
Rather, the policy requires people age 18 or older to show photo ID and proof of vaccination when entering certain indoor establishments: restaurants, bars, food halls and food courts, nightclubs, breweries, entertainment venues, exercise facilities and meeting facilities. (The policy says that people who are entering even these establishments for certain brief stops — to use a restroom, to pay, to pick up or place an order, or to get to an outdoor area — are not required to show proof of vaccination, but they must still wear masks while inside.)
It’s not hard to find the list of places covered by the policy: it is visible to anyone who visits the page to which Bowser tweeted a link. And clicking a link that is prominently featured on that page, in turn, brings up a document with even more details — such as the fact that grocery stores are exempt. (Someone who wanted to get milk at a non-exempt establishment like a restaurant or food court would have to show ID first, but Blackburn tweeted a much broader suggestion that people would generally need ID to buy milk in the city.)
So, if we’re understanding Dale correctly, because Bowser’s incorrect tweet also contained a link to a page with accurate information, it’s really Blackburn and Johnson we should be holding responsible for spreading false information.
You say that the Mayor's tweet was "overly broad," but you don't lead the fact-check with that.https://t.co/qB9wHjAykH
— John Fenton (@jhfenton) January 17, 2022
Of course he doesn’t lead the fact-check with that. Because if he did, he’d have to acknowledge that Muriel Bowser is ultimately responsible for the spread of misinformation.
“Their inaccurate tweets, however, came after Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser herself used overly broad language in a tweet describing the policy.”
So the “false claims” were based on what the mayor herself said the policy was.
— Sunny McSunnyface (@sunnyright) January 17, 2022
https://twitter.com/theredrange/status/1483125793475768325
The basis of the fact-check is literally that they accurately stated what the policy was according to the Mayor, but the Mayor was wrong, so they lied.
What. https://t.co/2cU46aFBNq
— Sunny McSunnyface (@sunnyright) January 17, 2022
All in a day’s work for CNN’s star fact-checker.
“Their inaccurate tweets, however, came after Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser herself used overly broad language in a tweet describing the policy. Bowser's tweet could have led the senators and others astray, though the senators could certainly have verified the details”
AYFKM https://t.co/2cU46aFBNq
— Sunny McSunnyface (@sunnyright) January 17, 2022
They’re not f*cking kidding you; they … are CNN.
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