Multiple outlets incorrectly reported that Rep. Devin Nunes tested positive for COVID-19.
The confusion appears to have begun on Friday afternoon after a Politico reporter tweeted, “New! Ca Rep @devinnunes tells @KMJNOW he tested positive for COVID-19.”
Other media outlets, including Axios, Business Insider, and the Daily Beast, quickly picked up on the news, posting tweets and articles about it.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Nunes’s office, which confirmed that the report was false.
“He said on KMJ radio that he had a positive test for antibodies, not that he’s currently positive,” said Jack Langer, the congressman’s communications director. “Said his best guess is that [he] had it in October. He said he just got back from donating blood plasma.”
“I got back from giving blood because I tested positive for the antibodies,” Nunes told KMJ host Ray Appleton, according to the Sacramento Bee.
An hour after publishing their stories, none of the outlets had updated them to reflect the error.
