Jennifer Bendery, a senior politics reporter for HuffPost, was the subject of online mockery after she failed at fact-checking Vice President Mike Pence's comment on how millions of Americans have now been vaccinated for COVID-19.
On Tuesday evening, Pence tweeted, "Operation Warp Speed is on track to distribute 20 Million doses of Coronavirus Vaccine by next week. Millions of Americans have been vaccinated and we are working with States every day to vaccinate millions more."
Operation Warp Speed is on track to distribute 20 Million doses of Coronavirus Vaccine by next week. Millions of Americans have been vaccinated and we are working with States every day to vaccinate millions more. This is no time for playing politics!https://t.co/KUKf1Szd0p
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) December 30, 2020
"Also, it's not true that "millions of Americans" have been vaccinated, which Pence surely knows. Roughly 2.1 million people have been vaccinated so far, per CDC," Bendery tweeted.
Also, it's not true that "millions of Americans" have been vaccinated, which Pence surely knows.
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) December 30, 2020
Roughly 2.1 million people have been vaccinated so far, per CDC. https://t.co/XCooSNoJIB
Now to those who understand how the English language works, two million can be substituted with millions since "millions" is the plural form of "million." Well, according to her LinkedIn, Bendery has her MA in English.
While many would accept the loss and move on, that is not the HuffPost way. Bendery responded to the jokes being made about her Wednesday morning, saying she was technically wrong, but Pence was still wrong because he was misleading on purpose.
Morning! ?? To the 2.1M trolls I have heard from kindly telling me that 2.1M is "millions," of course it is, technically.
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) December 30, 2020
Would I refer to a # barely over 2M is "millions" without citing the 2.1M? No. It misleads to suggest more, which I believe Pence is doing intentionally. https://t.co/2hb37xU3KH