NBC News Issues Correction SIX HOURS After Falsely Reporting Biden Had Choice Between Griner and Whelan in Prisoner Swap
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NBC News issued a correction only hours after falsely reporting President Joe Biden had a choice between Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan when negotiating a prisoner swap with the Russians.
Griner was ultimately released in exchange for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer often referred to as the “Merchant of Death.” NBC’s initial report cited a senior official who said the Russians offered Biden the choice of Griner, Whelan, or no one.
“But the official said Russia has treated Whelan differently because he is an accused spy, and that the Kremlin gave the White House the choice of either Griner or Whelan — or none,” the report originally read.
After the claim raised alarms on social media, the report was corrected to make it clear that Whelan was never part of any potential deal, something White House officials have been saying publicly since Griner’s release.
“The Kremlin ultimately gave the White House the choice of Griner or no one after different options were proposed,” the updated report reads.
A correction on the report also reads: “An earlier version of this article misstated the choice the Biden administration was given over hostages. It was to swap for Griner or no one, not a choice between Griner or Whelan.”
The correction was issued at around four in the evening on Thursday, approximately six hours after the report was first published. The post is credited to Erik Ortiz, Hayley Walker, and MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell.
NBC has already been under scrutiny in recent weeks after Today Show correspondent Miguel Almaguer presented a questionably-sourced story last month into the attack on Paul Pelosi, reporting Pelosi was not in immediate danger and may have known the suspect. The report was scrubbed from NBC’s site and Almaguer hasn’t been anywhere near the network’s cameras.
