Thursday saw the Associated Press (AP) caught in a whirlwind of controversy, as they were accused of misquoting Senator JD Vance on the emotionally-charged topic of school shootings. This led to a surge of criticism from all corners. Speaking at a Phoenix rally, Vance voiced his exasperation over the heart-wrenching reality of school shootings becoming a “fact of life” in our nation. He passionately called for heightened security measures to safeguard our children. “If these psychos are going to go after our kids, we’ve got to be prepared for it,” he insisted. “We don’t have to like the reality that we live in, but it is the reality we live in. We’ve got to deal with it.” He underscored the urgency of fortifying school security and championed for vigorous measures to reduce schools’ susceptibility to attacks.

https://twitter.com/Surabees/status/1831858280312009196?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The AP found itself under fire when their initial report misrepresented Vance’s comments, reducing them to merely acknowledging that school shootings were a “fact of life,” conveniently leaving out his vital call for enhanced security. This selective quoting painted a picture of Vance as accepting the situation rather than actively seeking solutions. Following an onslaught of backlash, the AP amended its report and issued a correction, modifying the headline to: “JD Vance says he laments that school shootings are a ‘fact of life’ and calls for better security.” In an effort to justify their error, AP added, “This post replaces an earlier post that was deleted to add context to the partial quote from Vance.”

https://twitter.com/AP/status/1831870743627624939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

However, the harm was already inflicted. Vance’s spokesperson, William Martin, delivered a blistering statement to Breitbart News, charging the AP with deliberate distortion of the senator’s remarks. “This is yet another case of the fake news media audaciously lying about a Republican politician. Senator Vance said exactly the opposite of what the Associated Press claimed,” Martin asserted. He further suggested that the AP’s actions were part of a wider scheme to discredit Republicans while bolstering Democratic leaders like Vice President Kamala Harris. “It should come as no surprise that the AP lost any and all credibility it had years ago,” Martin added. He juxtaposed Vance’s position on school safety with Harris’s, accusing her of advocating for the removal of police officers from schools—a move Martin deemed would expose children to heightened danger.

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Source: Steadfast Nation