Washington Post Gets Instant Backlash After Mistakenly Referring to George Floyd as Gunshot Victim

WaPo HUMILIATED By The Internet In Epic Fashion

(TruthandLiberty.com) – America changed in many ways after a police officer murdered George Floyd on Wednesday, May 25, 2020. Some in the media sought to memorialize the victim on the second anniversary of the horrifying event. However, one media outlet ended up on the wrong side of some misinformation. Ahead of the solemn day, The Washington Post tweeted on Monday, May 23, about how police shot and killed Floyd while he was in their custody. Yet, that’s not even close to what happened. Instead, the detainee’s death came at the knee of former Minneapolis Police Officer and now-convicted murderer Derek Chauvin.

Needless to say, the media and social media lambasted the Washington Post for its obvious error. Soon after the Post tweeted the misinformation, it deleted the content from its official Twitter account. Still, that didn’t stop conservative outlets from posting the news of the paper’s error. The backlash was fast and furious.

Washington Post deletes tweet that George Floyd was 'shot' by police https://t.co/mTqQv16xLc pic.twitter.com/SWiPzyoogg

— New York Post (@nypost) May 24, 2022

NewsBusters Managing Editor, Curtis Houck, joked the Washington Post nearly suffered the wrath of the Biden Administration’s “Ministry of Truth.”

Mannnn you guys just barely escaped the wrath of Nina Jankowicz and her Ministry of Truth https://t.co/C1Tmjtp3Tq

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 24, 2022

Houck’s tweet was a mock aimed at Biden’s recently scrapped project. In early April, the Biden administration announced the creation of a Government Disinformation Board for the alleged purpose of combating the spread of false information. Yet, Nina Jankowicz, Biden’s chosen leader of the failed organization, repeatedly issued questionable information on Twitter. Additionally, the administration has had its own struggles with releasing disinformation and misinformation.

Ultimately, the Washington Post replaced the incorrect tweet with something more appropriate.