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NPR Attacked for Its Fourth of July Tweets

Jul 5, 2017  •  Post A Comment

NPR came under attack this week — especially from supporters of Donald Trump, according to media reports — after it marked the Fourth of July holiday by sending out the Declaration of Independence, line by line, on Twitter.

“Some of the founders’ criticisms of King George III were met with angry responses from supporters of President Donald Trump, who seemed to believe the tweets were a reference to the current president. Others were under the impression NPR was trying to provoke Trump with the tweets,” the AP reports.

The report notes that NPR has aired a reading of the Declaration of Independence annually on the Fourth of July for the past 29 years, although this is the first year the broadcaster extended the tradition to Twitter.

“Spokeswoman Allyssa Pollard says the tweets were shared by thousands of people and generated ‘a lively conversation,'” the AP reports.

The Huffington Post, which published a number of the tweets posted in response to the NPR action, along with reactions to the reactions, reports: “Some supporters of President Donald Trump didn’t recognize one of the nation’s founding documents and accused the broadcaster of inciting violence and even revolution. Many of those comments have since been deleted and at least one user deleted an entire Twitter account.”

Here are a few of the tweets posted in response to the Declaration:

  • “@NPR Seriously, this is the dumbest idea I have ever seen on twitter. Literally no one is going to read 5000 tweets about this trash.”
  • “@NPR Horsechit”
  • “there’s nothing more american than getting pissed because you think the declaration of independence is shitting on the president”
  • “Incredible. You may be on the wrong side of history if you think the #DeclarationofIndependence is describing #Trump & then call it ‘trash’.”

10 Comments

  1. Oh my god this just shows how dunb Trump supporters are. Sheesh.

  2. That so many people don’t know that it was the Declaration of Independence from England in the 1700s is a national embarrassment.

  3. Right or left, the number of people in this country who do not know the history of this country is appalling.

  4. The fact that Trump supporters didn’t recognize it, and thought the Declaration of Independence was somehow an attack on the President, says a lot about education, or lack thereof, in this country.

  5. This isn’t a recent phenomena that can be laid strictly on Trump supporters.

    Local TV news shows (and a couple of national ones) have done similar things for several decades. They would do man-in-the-street pieces where they would ask people to sign a petition that was a typed copy of the Declaration… only without the title. Typically there would always be some number of people who would refuse and call it communist, unAmerican, etc., etc.

    • True, but the word is “phenomenon.”

      • When I composed my comment originally I intended the singular, but upon some editing I intended the plural meaning and missed deleting the “s”.

        But really… in this discussion, you’re gonna be the grammar police?

        • Aaahhh! I meant to type “missed deleting the “a”.”

          That’s what I get for typing in a dark room.

  6. This raises a bigger question about what is being taught in our schools?

    • Ask Ms. DeVos…

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