An image suggesting that The New York Times admitted to 2020 U.S. Presidential being stolen is found to be fake. The headline in the viral image is digitally altered using an existing article of the outlet.
Despite Joe Biden taking over the as the 46th President of the United States, conspiracies surrounding the Presidential elections haven't died down. Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly emphasized on the elections being a fraud after his humiliating defeat.
What is Being Said in the Viral Image?
The image, which has been shared multiple times of various social media platforms, carries a piece of article from The Times. The headline says, "Even if the election was stolen, recalling it will just further divide the country."
The summary under the headline reads, "Leave the rest to me" and to congressional allies, the former president is said to have told top law enforcement officials. It also carries a photograph of the former President while seated inside the Oval office in the White House.
The altered image soon drew a lot of reactions from the Trump supporters who backed his false claim of the elections being stolen from him. "No. It will correct a wrong. It will be a deterrent for someone doing this again. And, those responsible should be punished. The NY Times knows it was stolen. They are trying to minimize the severity of what has been done. If we don't act on this crime our nation will truly be lost. It might as well be a totalitarian government," commented a user on the image shared on Facebook.
"Not even if all the evidence in the world comes out that the election was stolen. They are not going to relinquish power," wrote a user on Twitter.
"WOW. So basically, "so what if the election was stolen?" They still think "unity" is coming? The nation IS divided, how couldn't it be if the election doesn't matter? The headline should be "Even if the Election was Stolen, RINOs are too Weak to do Anything About it," read another tweet.
Here is the Truth
Quashing the claim about the headline, Reuters said that The New York Times website doesn't carry any article with this headline. It further reported that the headline of the original article was digitally altered to spread the fake claim.
The original article's headline read, "Trump Pressed Justice Dept. to Declare Election Results Corrupt, Notes Show," which is visible on the publication's website.
In a communique with the outlet, Jordan Cohen, a representative for The New York Times said, "The New York Times did not write or publish the headline in that screenshot."
