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Yahoo Under Fire for Suggesting Chris Pratt Is a 'White Supremacist'

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Yahoo came under heavy fire after linking a Gadsden Flag t-shirt worn by actor Chris Pratt to him promoting white supremacy.

Yahoo Movies UK published a story on Tuesday night titled, “Chris Pratt criticized for ‘white supremacist’ T-shirt.”

The t-shirt featured an American flag with the superimposed image of a coiled rattlesnake and the words “Don’t Tread On Me” written beneath.

The Gadsden Flag was designed by American Revolutionary War Colonel Christopher Gadsden at the beginning of the colonies’ conflict with Great Britain in 1775, according to USFlag.org.

Multiple people circulated a picture of Pratt wearing the shirt as he walked beside his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, on Monday.

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Concerning the Gadsden Flag, Yahoo reported, “Although the symbol has a non-racial history — it is has been used by the U.S. men’s soccer team and Metallica — over the years it has also been adopted by political groups like the Tea Party and some Libertarian groups, as well as gun-toting supporters of the Second Amendment.”

“It has therefore also become a symbol of more conservative and far right individuals,” the news outlet added.

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In other words, conservatives and white supremacists seem to be synonymous in Yahoo’s estimation.

The story cited six tweets to justify its title that Pratt was being criticized for his shirt.

One Twitter user called it a “white supremacist” dog whistle, according to Fox News.

The Daily Wire editor-in-chief Ben Shapiro was among those to weigh in on the Yahoo story, tweeting Tuesday evening, “This is pure idiocy. Not every symbol of the early republic is a white supremacist symbol, unless you are a moron.”

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His comment was also an apparent reference to the Betsy Ross flag controversy of a few weeks ago.

Shapiro further noted, “(T)here are six tweets cited, none verified. Which means another manufactured stupidity.”

Washington Post columnist Aaron Blake argued Yahoo’s story did the country a “disservice” by linking Pratt to white supremacy.

“(T)he whole thing is completely counterproductive when it comes to the debate we’re having right now,” Blake argued. “It makes the media look rabid for this controversy and for more symbols to associate with racism.”

The Daily Caller’s Chuck Ross found irony in The Washington Post being upset that Yahoo published a story stoking false racist sentiment.

“lol,” Ross tweeted, “WaPo complains that the Yahoo story on the Chris Pratt Gadsden flag t-shirt does journalism a ‘disservice’ by making ‘the media look rabid.’ WaPo — which stoked the Covington high school bulls—.”

On Wednesday, Yahoo took the words “white supremacist” out of an updated headline, which reads, “Chris Pratt criticised for T-shirt choice.”

A note at the top of the article further states, “References to White Supremacism in this article have been removed.”

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Randy DeSoto has written more than 2,000 articles for The Western Journal since he joined the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."
Randy DeSoto is the senior staff writer for The Western Journal. He wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean's list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith




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