The Associated Press (AP) issued a retraction of a story published on Monday that falsely claimed that Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, said President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were “very good friends.” The error led to a public correction.
The original AP story made the erroneous claim in a headline that Gabbard had said Trump and Putin were “good friends.” However, the misquote stemmed from a confusion about the subjects of Gabbard’s comments. In fact, she was referring to the relationship between President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, not Trump and Putin.
The AP quickly retracted the story, posting a corrected version that clarified Gabbard’s remarks. The correction also included an editor’s note that explained their decision. “AP has removed its story about U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard saying President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘are very good friends’ because it did not meet our standards,” the news agency said in a statement. “We notified customers and published a corrected story with an editor’s note to be transparent about the error.”
In the updated article, the AP confirmed that Gabbard was discussing the relationship between Trump and Modi, acknowledging that the original story’s reporting was inaccurate. The link to the original story now leads to a “page unavailable” message, reflecting the removal of the article.
The false story labeling Trump and Putin as “good friends” is particularly consequential given the ongoing geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Ukraine, and Russia, as efforts to broker a peace deal continue. With the U.S. playing a pivotal role in negotiations, misrepresentations of Trump’s relationship with Putin has the potential to fuel further division and distrust, both domestically and internationally.
Additionally, the false claim is part of a broader pattern of linking Trump to Russia in an effort to discredit him, with the Russian collusion narrative that dominated much of Trump’s first presidency serving as a primary example. That narrative, which was heavily investigated and publicized by the media, sowed significant political and social discord, and the recent misreporting by the AP could exacerbate already sensitive discussions surrounding U.S.-Russia relations, especially as diplomats work toward a delicate peace agreement. Such inaccuracies are not only damaging to Trump’s reputation but also to the broader diplomatic efforts that aim to resolve one of the most critical international crises in recent history.
Gabbard’s deputy chief of staff, Alexa Henning, was quick to respond to the erroneous headline, criticizing the AP for what she described as “maliciously incompetent” reporting. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Henning wrote, “The @AP is total trash. DNI @TulsiGabbard was referring to PM Modi & President Trump and this is the headline they publish. This is why no one trusts the maliciously incompetent and purposefully bias [sic] media. If this isn’t a clear example of pushing a solely political narrative, then nothing is.”
The AP’s correction adds to a history of contentious relations between the media organization and the Trump administration. The AP was previously barred from certain White House events under the Trump presidency due to its refusal to use the term “Gulf of America” following Trump’s designation.
Just days before the AP retraction, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clashed with an AP reporter over tariffs during a press briefing. The exchange underscored the continuing tension between the White House and the press, with Leavitt accusing the reporter of insulting her knowledge of economics.
This incident comes at a time when the media landscape is increasingly polarized, with news outlets like the AP coming under fire from both sides of the political spectrum. The AP’s correction of the Gabbard story serves as a reminder of the importance of accuracy and accountability in journalism.
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How about “we retracted it because some biased reporter heard what they wanted to hear and misquoted the Director of Intelligence.”