USA Today has come under scrutiny for changing a headline about presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump's stance on abortion after the Biden-Harris campaign called it "egregiously false." The initial headline, "The will of the people': Trump opposes national abortion ban; says states should decide," was changed to "Donald Trump says states should decide abortion policy, avoids talk of a national ban." The change was made roughly two hours after a press call in which members of the Biden-Harris campaign team criticized media coverage of Trump's announcement.
During the press call, Biden-Harris campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, deputy communications director Brooke Goren, and pro-abortion advocate Kaitlyn Kash slammed media coverage of Trump's position on abortion. They specifically pointed out one headline as "particularly egregiously false," referencing the USA Today headline. This prompted USA Today to change the original headline to a new version without any explanation.
The USA Today article covered Trump's explicit affirmation of his support for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and his emphasis on states being able to determine their own laws on abortion, as long as there are exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. Trump stated, "The states will determine by vote, or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land." He also added, "At the end of the day, it is all about the will of the people."
The initial USA Today headline focused on Trump's support for states to decide abortion policy and his opposition to a national ban. However, the Biden-Harris campaign team argued that the headline was false and did not accurately reflect Trump's stance. They said that the headline gave the impression that Trump was against any form of abortion ban, which is not the case.
Around two hours after the press call, USA Today changed the headline to "Donald Trump says states should decide abortion policy, avoids talk of a national ban." Despite the change, the updated article still noted Trump's statement that "this is all about the will of the people" when discussing abortion restrictions.
Mediaite captured an image of the original headline and reported that it was changed without any explanation or editor's note. However, USA Today released a statement to Fox News Digital explaining that headline updates are normal for breaking news. They stated that their mission is to report the facts accurately, and they made the change to more precisely reflect the story.
The updated USA Today article, published roughly seven hours after the initial article, still included Trump's support for states to decide abortion policy and his emphasis on the will of the people. It also mentioned his explicit support for IVF and his stance on exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.
The Biden-Harris campaign team's criticism of media coverage of Trump's stance on abortion came as a result of a press call discussing the issue. They argued that the USA Today headline was "egregiously false" and called into question the accuracy of media coverage on other platforms as well.
This incident has brought attention to the importance of accurate reporting and unbiased coverage, especially during the election season. With both political parties closely scrutinizing media coverage, it is crucial for news outlets to ensure that their reporting is fair and accurate. The change in headline by USA Today serves as a reminder for journalists to carefully consider their reporting and the impact it can have on both candidates and the public.