CNN has been forced to issue a correction in their fact-checking of President Donald Trump's comments about federal funding for gender-affirming treatments in research animals. The correction follows an evidence submission from the White House.
Breitbart reported that during his joint address to Congress, President Trump criticized what he termed "appalling waste" in government spending, specifically highlighting $8.2 million allegedly funneled into hormone treatments for mice.
CNN's initial response was to label Trump’s remarks as false. The network's fact-checker claimed the amount stated was directed at making mice transgender, citing a figure slightly adjusted from Trump's claim.
However, further scrutiny and details provided by the White House painted a different picture. It turned out that the actual research involved hormone therapy for monkeys, not mice, with a focus on studying its effects on the immune system concerning HIV susceptibility.
The investigation revealed that between 2021 and 2022, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) allocated approximately $477,121 to three projects. These projects were not related to making mice transgender but were instead centered on administering feminizing hormone therapy to monkeys.
This funding was aimed at researching the potential impacts such treatments could have on the immune systems of these animals and their susceptibility to diseases like HIV, thereby providing insights relevant to human health.
The confusion arose partly due to discrepancies in the reported figures and the specifics of the research subjects — monkeys versus mice. CNN initially reported an inflated figure of $8 million, contrasting with the actual amount disbursed for the research.
Following the presentation of evidence by the White House, CNN took steps to correct their narrative. The evidence supported President Trump's assertion, prompting CNN to amend their fact-check material accordingly.
The corrected report from CNN conceded that federal funds had indeed been allocated to research that includes aspects of gender-affirming care, albeit not specifically for making animals transgender as initially reported.
Responding to this correction, the White House released a statement attacking CNN's initial labeling of the facts, branding the network as "Fake News" and vindicating Trump's claim as accurate.
In their revised coverage, CNN clarified that the original assertion about government spending on making mice transgender was inaccurately reported. They included additional context about the actual nature of the funded studies, stressing their implications for understanding the treatment's impacts on human health.
"An earlier version of this item incorrectly characterized as false Trump’s claim about federal money being spent for 'making mice transgender,'" CNN stated in their correction.
They emphasized the factual basis for funds being used in related scientific research, albeit with the corrected details regarding the amount and the research subjects.
This episode underscores the complexities of reporting in an era where the specifics of scientific research can become entangled in political debates. It also highlights the importance of precise fact-checking and the need for news outlets to quickly address inaccuracies in their reporting.
The incident has sparked discussions about the accountability of news organizations in their fact-checking processes and the impact of their reports on public perceptions of political figures and scientific research.