Associated Press Takes Heat For Tweet Equating Donald Trump with Dwyane Wade
On Friday, NBA star Dwyane Wade tweeted about the tragic murder of his cousin, and on Saturday, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump issued several tweets in which he misspelled Wade’s name, and used his cousin’s murder as evidence that black voters should vote for him.
Here’s how The Associated Press reported that series of events:
Dwyane Wade and Donald Trump speak out on Twitter in wake of the NBA star’s cousin’s fatal shooting. https://t.co/og56Rb7fEv
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 27, 2016
That tweet sparked widespread backlash on Twitter:
This is an awful tweet. Awful, @AP. And if you don't realize why, then that's the problem https://t.co/RX4pOHuyXR
— Dave Zirin (@EdgeofSports) August 27, 2016
Good q for the week: who is in charge of AP twitter feed? https://t.co/qfgziR1Oxd
— Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) August 27, 2016
@EdgeofSports @AP The AP has really revealed itself in these recent days.
— johnny (@johnnyste1900) August 27, 2016
@MJ_Baumann @AP But it's not even "both sides". It's one family member mourning and this horrible person having a Breit-gasm over her death.
— Dave Zirin (@EdgeofSports) August 27, 2016
The AP later tweeted an update about criticism of Trump’s tweets, but that didn’t really help:
@AP is getting slashed as well. Are all the editors still on vacation? Y'all suck lately.
— Pamela Angulo (@AnguloPJ) August 27, 2016
Trump’s Twitter feed posted a condolence tweet hours after the fact, but as Keith Olbermann noted, that tweet was likely sent by a staffer, not Trump himself.
