The Associated Press has retracted a story that incorrectly claimed Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, said President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were "very good friends." The error occurred on Monday, following Gabbard’s comments made during a trip to India, where she was actually referring to Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The original article had a misleading headline, suggesting a close relationship between Trump and Putin. After realizing the mistake, the AP issued a correction, stating that Gabbard’s remarks were about Trump and Modi. The corrected piece focused on Gabbard’s discussion regarding Trump’s attempts to negotiate peace in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
In her interview with India’s NDTV, Gabbard highlighted the lack of peace efforts during the previous administration and praised Trump for making progress in peace talks. She expressed confidence that Trump would have a productive conversation with Putin, emphasizing his commitment to peace.
This misstep is likely to strain the relationship between the AP and the Trump administration further. The White House has already restricted AP reporters from covering the president, following a dispute over the naming of the Gulf of Mexico, which the Trump administration has renamed the "Gulf of America."
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the administration’s actions, stating that it is a privilege to cover the White House and that they will hold media outlets accountable for what they view as misinformation. The AP’s retraction adds another layer to the ongoing tensions between the media and the current administration.
