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The New York Times changed its Tuesday morning front-page headline amidst a flurry of backlash.
The original headline read “TRUMP URGES UNITY VS. RACISM.” However, it was replaced to say “ASSAILING HATE BUT NOT GUNS” following a torrent of complaints.
Donald Trump was not pleased with the updated headline. So, of course, he took to Twitter to complain about “the Failing New York Times.” Additionally, he blamed “Radical Left Democrats” for spurring the change.
The NYT story was centered on how the president responded to the recent mass shootings in Texas and Ohio.
Like any president would, Trump gave a speech – and, yes, it was laced with themes of unity. He said Americans “must condemn racism, bigotry, and white supremacy,” and that “Hate has no place in America.”
However, numerous people quickly labeled the teleprompter-driven speech as hypocritical.
Countless individuals – including television hosts and Democratic presidential hopefuls – expressed their displeasure. The headline, they said, framed the story as Trump condemning racism and ignored how much he has fueled it.
The president criticized the paper for making the change, quoting former Clinton advisor Mark Penn who’d addressed the issue on Fox News earlier.
“This is an astounding development in journalism,” Penn is quoted in Trump’s tweet. “I’ve never seen it happen before, I’ve just never seen anything like this! Is that journalism today? I don’t think so!”
Still, the updated headline wasn’t wrong.
In his speech, the president completely ignored the topic of gun control. Instead, he blamed the violence on “mental illness,” the internet, and video games.
