The Hill issued a correction on a story that originally claimed South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said the removal of Confederate statues was an effort to “discredit” to the country’s Founding Fathers.
The publication originally touted a story on President Trump’s visit to Mount Rushmore and the governor’s speech with the headline, “South Dakota governor calls removal of Confederate statues effort to ‘discredit’ founding fathers.”
South Dakota governor calls removal of Confederate statues effort to “discredit” founding fathers https://t.co/kHZSm2RPmB pic.twitter.com/4cRWixU0vJ
— The Hill (@thehill) July 4, 2020
The publication later issued a correction, saying, “An earlier version of this story drew too strong a link between the effort to take down Confederate statues and monuments and Noem’s remarks. The headline and wording has been changed to more accurately reflect her comments.”
Some commentators decried the Hill’s original framing as “false,” pointing out the governor never said “Confederate” and was referring to other statues, such as those depicting former Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
“This headline is flat-out false. Even story says she never mentioned Confederate statues,” Fox News’s Brit Hume tweeted.
This headline is flat-out false. Even story says she never mentioned Confederate statues. https://t.co/JLmTWeaG31
— Brit Hume (@brithume) July 5, 2020
“Across America these last several weeks, we have been witnessing a very troubling situation unfold. In real time, we are watching an organized, coordinated campaign to remove and eliminate all references to our nation’s founding and many other points in our history,” Noem said at the Independence Day celebration with Trump.
“The approach focuses exclusively on our forefathers’ flaws, but it fails to capitalize on the opportunity to learn from their virtues,” she added. “Make no mistake, this is being done deliberately to discredit America’s founding principles by discrediting the individuals who formed them so that America can be remade into a different political image.”
Others echoed Hume’s sentiment.
15 hours later and this false story remains up. She didn’t discuss confederate statues. It’s so despicable how dishonest they’re being. https://t.co/XH37VEZ1Ai
— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) July 5, 2020
Here’s the quote in question from last night. https://t.co/6qRpChLgPa https://t.co/8Bf3zEaRL9
— Anders Hagstrom (@Hagstrom_Anders) July 5, 2020
The president traveled to South Dakota on Friday to attend a Fourth of July celebration at Mount Rushmore and made remarks condemning the destruction of monuments and rioting that has broken out in recent weeks.
“There is a new, far-left fascism that demands absolute allegiance. If you do not speak its language, perform its rituals, recite its mantras, and follow its commandments, then you will be censored, banished, blacklisted, persecuted, and punished. Not gonna happen to us,” Trump said, referring to his authorization of the government to arrest people who vandalize statues and that those guilty would face up to 10 years in prison.
“This left-wing cultural revolution is designed to overthrow the American Revolution,” he added.
Protests to end police brutality and systemic racism have erupted in recent weeks, sparked by the death of unarmed black man, George Floyd, while he was in police custody on Memorial Day. Demonstrators initially began pulling down or calling for the removal of Confederate statues as a way to combat racism in the country, but some have moved to destroy or vandalize other statues, including an elk and others.
