ABC News admitted to editing an interview they had with Ari Fleischer regarding Trump’s press secretary that made it appear he was attacking him, rather than praising him.
On Tuesday, former president George W. Bush’s press secretary called out the network on Twitter for chopping his quote that aired Monday night on “Nightline” and proving Spicer’s point about the media’s dedication to reporting negatively about the Trump administration. (RELATED: Sean Spicer Gets Praised By The Left And The Right After First Official Press Briefing)
White House spokesman Sean Spicer holds a press briefing at the White House in Washington January 23, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
“@Nightline proves Spicer right about MSM’s dedication to negativity. Here is what I told them in a taped interview: 1/4,” Fleischer tweeted.
@Nightline proves Spicer right about MSM’s dedication to negativity. Here is what I told them in a taped interview: 1/4
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) January 24, 2017
“It looks to me if the ball was dropped on Saturday, Sean recovered it and ran for a 1st down on Monday” is what Fleischer originally told “Nightline.”
“It looks to me if the ball was dropped on Saturday, Sean recovered it and ran for a 1st down on Monday.” 2/4
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) January 24, 2017
“Here is how they chopped my quote: ‘It looks to me if the ball was dropped on Saturday’ after ABC referred to ‘deliberate falsehoods.'” he continued.
Here is how they chopped my quote: “It looks to me if the ball was dropped on Saturday” after ABC referred to “deliberate falsehoods.” 3/4
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) January 24, 2017
If this is how the press reports, Trump is right to go after them. 4/4
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) January 24, 2017
When the press distorts someone’s quote and twists their words, we all have a problem. 5/5
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) January 24, 2017
The edited quote read, “[Spicer’s] briefing made me uncomfortable. It was too truculent, too tough. It looks as if the ball was dropped on Saturday,” according to another report.
Tuesday night the network issued an apology for “editing” the interview that “shortened” Fleisher’s quote and resulted in his opinion being “mischaracterized.”
“Nightline aired a segment Monday night about the first three days of the new administration including Sean Spicer’s statement to the press on Saturday,” an apology on their website read. “As part of the report, we interviewed former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer. In editing the piece for air, his quote was shortened and as a result his opinions mischaracterized.”
We are fixing the piece online to include his full quote and context. We apologize and regret the error.”
Update: The original story did not include link to shortened quote.