Someone at the Washington Post apparently needs a refresher course on the basics of attribution.
On Thursday, the “Democracy Dies in Darkness” paper scored viral clicks and copycat headlines with a report alleging the Trump administration had accused pop star Billie Eilish of “destroying our country and everything we care about.”
No one in the Trump administration said this. Rather, it was Eilish during her brief appearance this year at the 2020 Democratic National Convention who accused President Trump of “destroying” the country.
The Washington Post’s false claim comes amid a broader report about the White House’s since-scuttled last-minute effort to put together a $250 million star-studded coronavirus public health campaign. In looking to recruit top-shelf celebrities, the administration considered the politics of several candidates, including Eilish, who the White House supposedly claimed is “destroying” the United States, the Washington Post reports, citing internal documents.
This is how the paper handles the story (emphasis added):
[…]
Among those who did not make the cut were actress Jennifer Lopez, because she had criticized the president’s immigration policies at her Super Bowl performance; director Judd Apatow, because he “believes Trump does not have the intellectual capacity to run as President”; and singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, described as “not a Trump Supporter” and “destroying our country and everything we care about,” according to a document that outlines issues with numerous celebrities under consideration for the campaign.
Competing newsrooms, especially ones dedicated to covering the entertainment industry, were quick to jump on the Washington Post’s version of events.
“Leaked Trump Admin Document Describes Billie Eilish as ‘Destroying Our Country and Everything We Care About,’” reads a headline published by Complex.
Consequence of Sound reported that the “Trump team is convinced the 18-year-old megastar is ‘destroying our country and everything we care about.’”
“An abandoned ad campaign intended to boost President Trump before the election reportedly flagged celebs for their criticism of the administration, including alleged concerns that Billie Eilish was ‘destroying the country and everything we care about,’” Billboard reported.
There is more, including headlines from Uproxx, NME magazine, and even Business Insider.
But it was Eilish who claimed Trump is “destroying” the United States.
“You don’t need me to tell you things are a mess,” Eilish said in August during her appearance at the DNC. “Donald Trump is destroying our country and everything we care about.”
She added, “We need leaders who will solve problems like climate change and COVID, not deny them. Leaders who will fight against systemic racism and inequality.”
Even more embarrassing than misattributing the quote is the fact that the internal documents upon which the Washington Post’s entire report is based note explicitly that it was Eilish who accused Trump of “destroying” the country.
In fact, the internal documents state in two places:
– Made a political statement on gun control in 2019; will be a first-time voter in 2020; not a Trump supporter, stated he “is destroying our country and everything we care about.”
Yet, from this, we get the narrative that someone in the Trump administration had gone full John Lithgow in Footloose on the 18-year-old pop starlet.
The Washington Post has yet to correct its story.
Ah, well. What are you going to do?
