Mediaite reports:
LA Times reporter Evan Halper appeared to have captured a remarkably newsworthy moment when during an interview with presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg, the South Bend Mayor laid blame of Donald Trump at the feet of former President Barack Obama.
The last paragraph included the following comment “The failures of the Obama era help explain how we got Trump,” which is a starkly critical comment of the still wildly popular political figure in Democratic circles. And not surprisingly, this comment quickly went viral.
When the misquote went viral yesterday, it was often accompanied by a #ByePete hashtag, which trended last night.
My story about @PeteButtigieg ends with him referring to the “failures of the Obama era.” That’s an inaccurate quote — the result of transcribing a noisy recording at a loud rally. His exact words were “failures of the old normal”
— Evan Halper (@evanhalper) November 11, 2019
I deeply regret the mistake When we make errors we own them. This one really hurts because it went viral. Here’s the candidate’s full remark: “I also fundamentally believe that there is no going back. My message is not about going back to where we were.
— Evan Halper (@evanhalper) November 11, 2019
I think because I come from a part of the country where normal has been a real problem for a very long time, and I think the failures of the old normal help explain how we got to Trump, I am much more interested in building a future that is going to have a lot of differences.”
— Evan Halper (@evanhalper) November 11, 2019
I appreciate this reporter’s swift and honest correction of a misquote on my views of the Obama presidency. From health care to DADT repeal to the rescue of the auto industry, my appreciation of the great leadership of Barack Obama comes from a very personal place. https://t.co/eWvSDtcpTQ
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) November 11, 2019