MAGA types found a new opportunity to lash out at the Associated Press on Tuesday after the news wire retracted a story that incorrectly said that Tulsi Gabbard described Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin as âvery good friends.â
The APâs original story highlighted Gabbardâs interview with Indiaâs NDTV and ran with the headline âGabbard says Trump and Putin are âvery good friendsâ focused on strengthening tiesâ over the war in Ukraine.
The original story misattributed a reference to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, forcing the outlet to take it down and publish a new version with a new headline, one that included other comments the Director of National Intelligence made about Trumpâs relationship with Putin as the U.S. brokers an end to the war in Ukraine.
âThe Associated Press has withdrawn its story about U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard saying President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin âare very good friends,â it wrote in a statement posted on the old version. âGabbard was talking about Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The AP will publish a corrected version of the story.â
Trump allies seized the episode as another opportunity to strike out against Trumpâs latest media adversary, claiming the mistake was further proof that Trump was right to restrict its press access over its refusal to use his prescribed name for the Gulf of Mexico.
âAP stands for Associated Propaganda,â Elon Musk wrote on X on Tuesday, referencing his preferred name for the wire service.
âThe [AP] is total trash,â Alexa Henning, Gabbardâs deputy chief of staff, wrote on X early Tuesday after the AP withdrew the story. âThis is why no one trusts the maliciously incompetent and purposefully bias media. If this isnât a clear example of pushing a solely political narrative, then nothing is.â
âThis is more proof why the Associated Press cannot be trusted and the White House was entirely justified in removing the outlet from the press pool,â Breitbart White House correspondent Matthew Boyle posted on X. â[AP White House correspondent Zeke Miller] has yet to condemn David Klepper and he never will. Heâs part of the [White House Correspondents' Association] cartel designed to protect establishment media elites. The WHCA does not care about press access or free speech or the First Amendment.â
âAP has removed its story about U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard saying President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin âare very good friendsâ because it did not meet our standards,â an AP spokesperson said in a statement, pointing to the corrected version.
The pile-on reflects the heightened stakes for media outlets during Trumpâs second term, where every editorial decision is scrutinized by Trump acolytes and every mistake, perceived or otherwise, becomes fodder for claims of media bias.
Trump has sued multiple media outlets for defamation over coverage he disliked, and Federal Communications Chairman Brendan Carr has launched or re-opened investigations into some of Trumpâs media enemies.
The AP has emerged as one of the White Houseâs top targets after it said it would not rename the Gulf of Mexico in accordance with Trumpâs executive order to call it the âGulf of America,â saying it needed to appeal to its global audience that uses the longstanding name.
The White House then restricted AP reporters from accessing press events in the White House and Air Force One, prompting the AP to sue. Its next hearing is March 27.
