When President Trump suggested the death penalty for Sayfullo Saipov, whose terrorist attack this week in New York City left eight people dead, GQ smelled a troubling double-standard.
Why, the men’s publication asked Thursday, didn’t the president suggest the same for Stephen Paddock, whose shooting spree in Las Vegas earlier this month left 58 dead and hundreds wounded?
GQ’s question is a reaction to a series of notes the president tweeted after the New York City attack.
“I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program. Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!” Trump said.
He added, “The terrorist came into our country through what is called the “Diversity Visa Lottery Program,” a Chuck Schumer beauty. I want merit based.”
GQ’s response to the president’s real-time musings included a story whose headline initially read, “Why Does Donald Trump Want the Death Penalty for the New York Attack, But Not Las Vegas?”
Um … maybe because the Las Vegas shooter is already dead?
Was GQ expecting a longer response? At 500-plus words, it sure seems like the article’s author was expecting a longer answer.
I mean, sure. You can try to kill Paddock a second time if that’s your thing, but that seems like an inefficient use of time and resources.
GQ eventually realized its mistake and issued a correction, which reads: “Edit: An earlier version of this article used a headline noting that Trump had publicly called for the death penalty in the New York attack, but not the Las Vegas shooting in particular. That discrepancy is probably related to the fact that the Las Vegas shooter is dead. We regret the error.”
The headline to the story has also been amended so that it now reads, “Why Does Donald Trump Want the Death Penalty for the New York Attack, But Not for Others? [Updated].”
