NBC Took 2 Days to Correct Anti-Trump Fake News
President Donald Trump assumed the role of fact-checker in chief when the mainstream media selectively reported comments Trump made last week at an Ohio rally.
On Friday, Trump noted that Ohio was the birthplace of Civil War Gen. and former President Ulysses S. Grant. Trump described Grant as a man who was flawed but who was the only general who could stand up to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
NBC was among the media outlets that only reported on the part of the speech that noted Lee had been almost invincible for much of the war, neglecting to report it in full. Trump tweeted his outrage on Sunday.
“NBC News has totally and purposely changed the point and meaning of my story about General Robert E Lee and General Ulysses Grant. Was actually a shoutout to warrior Grant and the great state in which he was born. As usual, dishonest reporting. Even mainstream media embarrassed!” Trump tweeted Sunday.
NBC News has totally and purposely changed the point and meaning of my story about General Robert E Lee and General Ulysses Grant. Was actually a shoutout to warrior Grant and the great state in which he was born. As usual, dishonest reporting. Even mainstream media embarrassed!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 14, 2018
NBC did, however, check the video of the rally, and soon issued a tweet of its own
“CORRECTION: An earlier tweet misidentified the general President Trump described as ‘incredible’ at a rally in Ohio. It was Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, not Gen. Robert E. Lee,” NBC tweeted, attaching a video link of the full segment of the rally.
CORRECTION: An earlier tweet misidentified the general President Trump described as "incredible" at a rally in Ohio. It was Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, not Gen. Robert E. Lee. An attached video clip lacked the full context for Trump's remark. Here is the full clip. pic.twitter.com/NZHj3Q2dHL
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 14, 2018
Trump noted the correction, and responded.
“Thank you to NBC for the correction!” Trump tweeted.
Thank you to NBC for the correction! https://t.co/L2mX3vREOl
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 14, 2018
The damage, however was done.
“Donald Trump Is a Big Fan of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, Huge,” Rolling Stone headlined its coverage of the speech. In the accompanying article, it did note that Trump used his comments about Lee to frame praise of Grant.
Trump was also attacked in a Yahoo News article that quoted Rev. Robert Lee IV, the great-great-great-great-nephew of his Confederate namesake, who used Twitter to condemn Trump for saying anything nice about his ancestor.
My response to @realDonaldTrump and his comments last night about my collateral ancestor, Robert E. Lee. pic.twitter.com/ISw6nMspZ1
— Rev. Dr. Rob Lee (@roblee4) October 13, 2018
“He is showing us he supports an idol of white supremacy and of hatred,” Lee said in a video accompanying his tweet.
Trump’s comments came while he was listing off the great Americans who were born in Ohio.
“Ohio is the state that gave us a great president who hasn’t been properly recognized, OK? William McKinley has not been properly recognized. What he did in terms of trade, in terms of war, but in terms of trade — and I hate to say, in terms of being smart in tariffs, William McKinley has not been properly recognized,” Trump said according to a transcript of the rally. “But maybe someday he will.
“It also gave you a general, who was incredible. He drank a little bit too much. You know who I’m talking about, right? So Robert E. Lee was a great general. And Abraham Lincoln developed a phobia. He couldn’t beat Robert E. Lee. He was going crazy. I don’t know if you know this story.”
Trump then related his version of why Grant led the Army of the Potomac in the Civil War.
“But Robert E. Lee was winning battle after battle after battle. And Abraham Lincoln came home, he said, ‘I can’t beat Robert E. Lee.’ And he had all of these generals. They look great. They were the top of their class at West Point. They were the greatest people. There was only one problem. They didn’t how the hell to win,” Trump said.
“They didn’t know how to fight. They didn’t know how. And one day, it was looking really bad. And Lincoln just said, you — hardly knew his name — and they said, don’t take him. He’s got a drinking problem. And Lincoln said, ‘I don’t care what problem he has, you guys aren’t winning.’ And his name was Grant,” Trump said.
“General Grant. And he went in and he knocked the hell out of everyone. And you know the story. They said to Lincoln, ‘You can’t use him anymore. He’s an alcoholic.’ And Lincoln said, ‘I don’t care if he’s an alcoholic. Frankly, give me six or seven more just like him.’ He started to win. Grant really did. He had a serious problem,” Trump said.
“Serious drinking problem. But, man, was he a good general. And he’s finally being recognized as a great general. But Lincoln had almost developed a phobia, because he was having a hard time with a true great fighter and a great general, Robert E. Lee. But Grant figured it out, and Grant is a great general, and Grant came from right here,” Trump said.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
