ABC has offered no clarification or on-air apology for its false battlefield video, and just edited out a soundbite of President Trump’s critical remarks on the topic.
The network issued a correction and apology in simple tweets Monday but has not offered an explanation or an on-air correction for using video that they reported was from a battle between Syrian Kurds and Turkish forces, but was actually from an event at a gun range in Kentucky.
ABC News ‘regrets’ using fake video of ‘Kurdish civilians being slaughtered’ that was really a gun range in Kentucky https://t.co/c3zlZswVwh
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) October 14, 2019
During a joint press conference with the president of Italy that was aired on Wednesday’s “World News Tonight,” ABC edited out Trump slamming chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl on the incident.
Karl, who currently serves as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, attempted to confront Trump on his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, accusing the president of giving the “green light” for Turkey to invade Syria.
(Video: Twitter)
“Even after all you have seen — ISIS prisoners freed, all the humanitarian disaster — you don’t have any regret for giving Erdogan the green light to invade?” he asked, referring to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
But Trump, who was holding the press conference at the White House with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, quickly flipped Karl’s narrative and scorched him on his own network’s deception.
“I didn’t give him a green light,” he replied.
“You know, when you make a statement like that, it is so deceptive. Just the opposite of a green light,” Trump continued.
“And when you ask a question like that, it is very deceptive, Jon. It’s almost as deceptive as you showing all of the bombings taking place in Syria, and it turns out the bombing you showed on television took place in Kentucky. So, you know. I’m not even sure that ABC apologized for that. But certainly, it was a terrible thing,” Trump said.
“I’m looking at this, I say, “Wow, that’s pretty bad.” And it was in Kentucky, it wasn’t in Syria,” he added. “But I think ABC owes an apology.”
Karl did not respond to Trump’s blistering criticism, choosing instead to fire back with a quote from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham saying Trump was bringing about “a disaster worse than Obama’s decision to leave Iraq.”
“No. Lindsey Graham would like to stay in the Middle East for the next thousand years with thousands of soldiers and fighting other people’s wars,” the president replied.
But the exchange was not completely seen by ABC’s viewers as Karl’s report later that night included Graham’s quote while completely omitting Trump’s chastisement of him and his network.
Tweets from the “World News Tonight” and “Good Morning America” Twitter accounts have been the only comments ABC has issued on the video footage debacle.
CORRECTION: We’ve taken down video that aired on “World News Tonight” Sunday and “Good Morning America” this morning that appeared to be from the Syrian border immediately after questions were raised about its accuracy. ABC News regrets the error.
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) October 14, 2019
Trump’s censure of Karl after his attempt to play “gotcha” is even more telling in light of the reporter’s recent demand that the president “condemn” a video.
The video reportedly played this weekend at a conference organized by the President’s supporters at Trump National Doral is vile and dangerous. Here is my statement on behalf of @whca pic.twitter.com/fOZLMhsi7P
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) October 14, 2019
ABC’s continued inaccurate reporting was called out on Twitter.
I’m pretty sure the only reason Trump called on Jon Karl is so he could throw ABC fake news Kentucky-Syria video in his face ?
— Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) October 16, 2019
That was a take down.
— Shelli Green (@shelligreen) October 16, 2019
ABC just got Trumped!
— Kelly Cascadden (@kelly_cascadden) October 16, 2019
He’s right to call it fake news, if you want respect then be a little honest about what you report
— Spartanfan (@spartanfan8892) October 16, 2019
ABC deserves the bashing.
— Deedee71 (@orangecone21) October 16, 2019
Yes, way to go! Ouch that had to hurt!
— CHARLIE❤️?? (@truth_pray) October 16, 2019
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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