New York Times corrects column that drew huge backlash for blaming Sarah Palin in Gabby Giffords’ shooting

REUTERS/Eric Thayer

Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) blows a kiss after reciting the Pledge of Allegiance during the final session of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina September 6, 2012.

The New York Times corrected an op-ed on Thursday that suggested the man who shot Rep. Gabby Giffords was inspired by an ad former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s political action committee sent putting a target on Giffords’ district.

In its broad attempt to condemn the dangers of heated political rhetoric following another shooting on Wednesday that wounded six people, including a congressman, the New York Times Editorial Board waded into controversy by mistakenly insinuating Jared Lee Loughner shot Giffords for political reasons.

“An earlier version of this editorial incorrectly stated that a link existed between political incitement and the 2011 shooting of Representative Gabby Giffords,” the Times wrote on Thursday. “In fact, no such link was established.”

Loughner’s motivation was much less overtly political than many initially suspected.

The shooter, who plead guilty to the shooting in 2012, had a long history of mental illness which cast doubt over his supposed political radicalization.

Wednesday’s op-ed sparked an enormous backlash on the right, which noted the factual inconsistency.

In a post on Facebook, Palin described the op-ed as “sickening.”

“Despite commenting as graciously as I could on media coverage of yesterday’s shooting, alas, today a perversely biased media’s knee-jerk blame game is attempting to destroy innocent people with lies and more fake news,” Palin wrote.

This paragraph in today’s NYT editorial on Alexandria shootings is offensively, quasi-Stalinistically wrong: https://t.co/nWhhcHfMso http://pic.twitter.com/LkJFifUh73

— Jeff B/DDHQ (@EsotericCD) June 15, 2017

This is complete garbage from the @nytimes. There is not a shred of evidence Loughner was influenced by Palin. https://t.co/vkn9jQnPAp http://pic.twitter.com/UxpfFyUk8T

— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) June 15, 2017

The @nytimes cannot be shamed enough for this demonstrably false statement. Embarrassing. https://t.co/RRnIR5QS4T http://pic.twitter.com/Aqdb4kpL4M

— Rachael Larimore (@RachaelBL) June 15, 2017

Tucson shooter was a paranoid schizophrenic who believed grammar was a conspiracy. NY Times is completely wrong. https://t.co/FJSvT5RqY3 http://pic.twitter.com/C5kSfcYzzU

— jimgeraghty (@jimgeraghty) June 15, 2017

The New York Times editorial from TODAY takes time to blame Palin for Giffords. Jesus Christ. https://t.co/bk3iFN8Mf4

— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) June 15, 2017