President Trump weighed in on the New York Times‘ decision to change a headline about his response to the two mass shootings that occurred over the weekend.
The Times original headline read, “TRUMP URGES UNITY VS. RACISM,” but it was widely criticized. Multiple 2020 presidential candidates expressed their outrage at the headline because they felt it did not address the president’s own culpability. The article focused on Trump’s Monday morning speech where he addressed the shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio that left over 30 people dead.
Following the outcry of condemnation, the Times then changed the headline to ‘“ASSAILING HATE BUT NOT GUNS.”
Trump referenced the change on social media Wednesday morning by quoting former Clinton adviser Mark Penn who appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight the night before.
“Trump Urges Unity Vs. Racism,” was the correct description in the first headline by the Failing New York Times, but it was quickly changed to, “Assailing Hate But Not Guns,” after the Radical Left Democrats went absolutely CRAZY! Fake News – That’s what we’re up against…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2019
“‘Trump Urges Unity Vs. Racism,’ was the correct description in the first headline by the Failing New York Times, but it was quickly changed to, ‘Assailing Hate But Not Guns,’ after the Radical Left Democrats went absolutely CRAZY! Fake News – That’s what we’re up against…,” the president’s tweet read.
A subsequent tweet said, “..’This is an astounding development in journalism. I’ve never seen it happen before, I’ve just never seen anything like this! Is that journalism today? I don’t think so!’ Mark Penn, Former Clinton Advisor. @TuckerCarlson After 3 years I almost got a good headline from the Times!”
The New York Times’ executive editor Dean Baquet called it “a bad headline,” and added that “I understand the concern people have. Headlines matter. But I hope they read the coverage, which I will argue was strong.”
