The Covington Catholic High School students who were accused of mocking a Native American drummer have not yet been invited to the White House, despite a Tuesday report claiming otherwise.
The students became the center of a media storm after a short video appeared to show them taunting and mocking Nathan Phillips, a Native American veteran, during their class trip to Washington, DC. However, longer video showed that Phillips started the incident by approaching the boys and banging a drum in their faces.
The president has repeatedly defended the young boys, and Fox News host Laura Ingraham reported on her podcast Tuesday that they have been invited to the White House.
“The Covington Catholic students threatened by the leftist internet mob will be meeting with @realDonaldTrump at the White House as early as tomorrow,” Ingraham tweeted.
EXCLUSIVE on the new #LauraIngrahamPodcast — the Covington Catholic students threatened by the leftist internet mob will be meeting with @realDonaldTrump at the White House as early as tomorrow. @iTunes @PodcastOne
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) January 22, 2019
But two reporters said the White House told them on background that the Covington students have not actually been invited to the White House and that Ingraham’s reporting is inaccurate. One senior White House official did not rule out a visit in the future, but said they are definitely not coming this week.
Senior WH official tells us that the reporting is inaccurate.The Covington Kids have not been invited. Senior WH aide says: “They are not coming tomorrow, they are not coming this week, that does not mean they are not going to come at all? I don’t know.” Says nothing is imminent. https://t.co/a5hGkSf4ar
— Fin Gomez (@finnygo) January 22, 2019
Don’t think this is true. As of right now, they have not been invited, I’m told.
The Covington students aren’t coming to the WH tomorrow, or this week. https://t.co/kAUlJFUmoi
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) January 22, 2019
Trump tweeted on behalf of the Covington students twice after the incident, insisting that they were “treated unfairly” and were a symbol of “Fake News and how evil it can be.” (RELATED: Trump Calls The Covington Boys A ‘Symbol’ Of Fake News)
Looking like Nick Sandman & Covington Catholic students were treated unfairly with early judgements proving out to be false – smeared by media. Not good, but making big comeback! “New footage shows that media was wrong about teen’s encounter with Native American” @TuckerCarlson
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 22, 2019
“They have captivated the attention of the world, and I know they will use it for the good – maybe even to bring people together,” Trump continued. “It started off unpleasant, but can end in a dream!”
Nick Sandmann and the students of Covington have become symbols of Fake News and how evil it can be. They have captivated the attention of the world, and I know they will use it for the good – maybe even to bring people together. It started off unpleasant, but can end in a dream!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 22, 2019
Some of the students were notably wearing “Make America Great Again” hats in the video of the confrontation with Phillips. According to a statement by one of the teens, Nicholas Sandmann, the students broke out into school spirit chants in order to drown out racial taunts by a nearby black supremacist group. It was then that Phillips approached and stared down Sandmann while banging his drum.