President Donald Trump greeted FBI Director James Comey at a reception for first responders Sunday, but by reading the Twitter feeds of many prominent journalists one would think Trump blew Comey a kiss.
The author of an anti-Trump book, Richard Hine, spread the misinformation that Trump blew Comey a kiss by using a video of Trump greeting Comey without audio of the encounter.
WATCH:
Trump just literally blew a kiss to James Comey at a WH reception for law enforcement pic.twitter.com/HwVq9DNdZd
— Richard Hine (@richardhine) January 22, 2017
The audio of Trump greeting Comey clearly shows that Trump is saying “James,” and not blowing the FBI director a kiss.
WATCH:
Here’s the video. Looks to me more like a backslapping handshake + a close-in whisper. https://t.co/xjifmZKPOZ https://t.co/sS3V4QyXVk
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) January 22, 2017
This did not matter, however, for the several journalists who spread the lie that Trump blew Comey a kiss.
Newsweek senior writer Kurt Eichenwald retweeted ThinkProgress Editor-in-Chief Judd Legum
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New Yorker contributing writer Ben Taub
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The Times Washington bureau chief Rhys Blakely
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Slate writer Mark Joseph Stern
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New Republic editor Jeet Heer
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Upworthy writer Parker Molloy and Vox writer Matthew Yglesias
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Washington Post columnist Gene Weingarten
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BuzzFeed world news editor Hayes Brown
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ThinkProgress justice editor Ian Millhiser
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New York magazine writer-at-large Jessie Singal
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GQ special correspondent Keith Olbermann
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