On Friday, Washington Post policy reporter Jeff Stein posted several tweets inaccurately quoting U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, concerning her response to the UN's claims about “extreme poverty” in America.
Stein wrote a story in which he claimed that ‘Team Trump’ was claiming victory in the “war on poverty,” reported NewsBusters.
Stein originally posted the following tweet:
The White House is now declaring the War on Poverty “largely over and a success”
In US:
– 29M dont have health care
– 5.3M live on less than $4 a day
– 15M US kids are in poverty
W/ @TracyJan https://t.co/Vx05z1zQIy
—Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) July 13, 2018
He posted a related tweet several minutes later.
*The Haley number above, I should note, is for “extreme poverty”
— Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) July 13, 2018
Haley responded in a tweet of her own.
@JStein_WaPo I never said this. My team has asked you to retract this and take down your tweets. I am now respectfully follow through with what you told my team you would do. Thank you.
— Nikki Haley (@nikkihaley) July 14, 2018
Later, Haley called out Stein.
Unfortunate when a reporter doesn’t follow through and I have to do this:@JStein_WaPo I never said this. My team has asked you to retract this and take down your tweets. I am now respectfully asking that you follow through with what you told my team you would do. Thank you.
— Nikki Haley (@nikkihaley) July 14, 2018
The Right Scoop also published an article pressuring Stein to retract his statements. Stein later posted a tweet retracting his earlier statements.
I’ve deleted earlier tweets indicating that Nikki Haley, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., had said only 250,000 Americans are in “extreme poverty.” The U.S. Permanent Mission to the United Nations and International Organizations in Geneva had said this.
— Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) July 14, 2018