Conservative media giant Fox News appears to have made changes to some of its original reporting over the weekend, news that initially mentioned a gathering of white nationalists outside the mayor’s Manhattan residence to protest the city’s vaccine mandates.
Saturday afternoon, white supremacist activist Nick Fuentes and his followers — who call themselves “groypers” — reportedly gathered outside Gracie Mansion to protest New York City’s mandate for all persons to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to participate in indoor activities.
These activities include indoor dining, indoor fitness and indoor entertainment. The mandate — and Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving’s refusal to be vaccinated — has led the New York NBA team’s All-Star guard to be benched until his medical status or the mandate changes.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has also ordered public city workers such as firefighters and police officers to be vaccinated, as well as health care employees. Protests against the mandates in the city have been ongoing.
At Saturday’s rally, Fuentes, who has been labeled anti-Semitic, a defender of segregation and a white nationalist leader, and his followers reportedly clashed with far-left anti-fascist activists.
Fox News’ first report, written Sunday by Adam Sabes, was titled, “Antifa members clash with White nationalists over COVID vaccine mandate outside NYC’s Gracie Mansion,” according to Mediaite. The article noted that Fuentes and his “Groyper Army” are considered a white supremacist group by the Anti-Defamation League.
A second version of the story emerged hours later after criticism from Fuentes and former Fox contributor Michelle Malkin. According to The Daily Beast, Fuentes had commented on the story on the social media app Telegram, a favorite of the far-right. The Daily Beast says he wrote: “Fox News using ADL talking points about me and AF,” adding, “Scum.”
The new version removed the mention of the ADL designation and featured a new headline, changed to read: “Antifa members clash with anti-vaccine protesters outside NYC’s Gracie Mansion.”
Additionally, the new version was more critical of the “Antifa protesters,” later referring to them as “Antifa radicals,” while referring to America First and the groypers as “anti-vaccine protesters.”
As previously reported, Fuentes is a proponent of “America First,” which is also the title of his podcast and the name of the group he founded, one he identifies as a “Christian conservative” organization. It publicly opposes, among other things, immigration — both undocumented and legal — globalism, gay and transgender rights and feminism.
The Fox News Channel was also recently accused of editing video of President Joe Biden to remove context from remarks he made last week about a historic Black baseball player.
In his comments Thursday as part of Veteran’s Day observances, Biden said he had “adopted the attitude of the great Negro, at the time pitcher in the Negro Leagues, went on to become a great pitcher in the pros in Major League baseball after Jackie Robinson; his name was Satchel Paige.”
According to Associated Press, when Rachel Campos Duffy played the clip on Fox & Friends Friday, it was edited so the president was heard saying he had “adopted the attitude of the great Negro at the time, pitcher, name was Satchel Paige.” Duffy told viewers the remarks Biden made were “landing him in hot water.”
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