ABC News Issues On-Air Clarification to Trump-Flynn Russian Outreach Report
One of the bigger news items from today in Michael Flynn reporting was this from ABC News (UPDATE BELOW):
JUST IN: @BrianRoss on @ABC News Special Report: Michael Flynn promised “full cooperation to the Mueller team” and is prepared to testify that as a candidate, Donald Trump “directed him to make contact with the Russians.” https://t.co/aiagnvr8eS pic.twitter.com/r8u2LWAd0O
— ABC News (@ABC) December 1, 2017
Brian Ross, citing a Flynn confidant, said, “[Flynn] is prepared to testify that President Trump, as a candidate… ordered him, directed him to make contact with the Russians.”
However, CNN’s Oliver Darcy reported this news hours later:
ABC News spokesperson tells me that “World News” will clarify that this should be president-elect Trump, not candidate Trump. https://t.co/Xm0BuvAstj
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) December 1, 2017
And a number of people on Twitter pointed out that’s kind of a big difference:
The ABC report that caused the stock market to temporarily drop sharply was incorrect on at least one key point: https://t.co/QDCD1VpDjp
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) December 1, 2017
That’s a bit more than just a minor “oopsie,” for God’s sake. Unbelievable. https://t.co/jQ6zlX97Eb
— Jeff B/DDHQ (@EsotericCD) December 1, 2017
This is a massive “clarification.” Wow. https://t.co/P8b8sIazQy
— Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) December 2, 2017
That’s quite an important correction to make. https://t.co/SCy95IfLSW
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) December 1, 2017
Tweeting this again because this is a BFD https://t.co/TZWxO1KmG0
— Nick Riccardi (@NickRiccardi) December 1, 2017
That’s a huge correction https://t.co/EIMaE0EkGu
— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) December 1, 2017
That changes things considerably. https://t.co/g1vUxlDxJQ
— David French (@DavidAFrench) December 1, 2017
And indeed, during ABC’s World News Tonight, Ross said the following:
“A clarification tonight on something one of Flynn’s confidants told us and we reported earlier today. He said the President had asked Flynn to contact Russia during the campaign. He’s now clarifying that, saying according to Flynn, candidate Trump asked him during the campaign to find ways to repair relations with Russia and other hot spots, and then after the election, the President-elect asked him, told him to contact Russia on issues, including working together to fight ISIS.”
You can watch above, via ABC News.
UPDATE –– 8:29 pm ET: The earlier tweet has been taken down and this has gone up tonight:
CLARIFICATION of ABC News Special Report: Flynn prepared to testify that President-elect Donald Trump directed him to make contact with the Russians *during the transition* — initially as a way to work together to fight ISIS in Syria, confidant now says. https://t.co/ewrkVZBTbc pic.twitter.com/GQAKwT1Eda
— ABC News (@ABC) December 2, 2017
UPDATE –– 9:28 pm ET: A report tonight on the error filed by CNN’s Oliver Darcy says ABC News’ correction came after CNN reached out for comment:
ABC News' correction to bombshell Flynn report came after I had contacted them to ask why @BrianRoss' initial reporting wasn't in network's online story: https://t.co/qZRjfEBbwA pic.twitter.com/lqdVi0163H
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) December 2, 2017
[image via screengrab]
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