The New York Occasions printed a narrative pushing the concept that assist for President Donald Trump from a younger Black man was natural, however the paper hid a key truth from its readers.
On Thursday evening, I learn the story headlined “What 11 Black Voters Think About Trump’s Actions in His First Month.” A type of voters is Javon Evans, whom the Occasions merely recognized as an “artificial intelligence start-up worker in Houston” who “grew up in a politically diverse family on Long Island and moved to Texas after college in 2021.”
“I think the first month has been excellent,” Evans instructed the outlet, which talked about that he supported Trump’s actions to roll again pro-diversity efforts.
The quote set off pink flags for me. I’ve lined politics and media points for a very long time, and the best way by which Evans was positioned—completely reflecting what conservatives and the mainstream media insist is an correct portrayal of how Black folks relate to conservatism—didn’t sit proper with me.
I googled Evans’ identify and “Trump,” not anticipating to search out something. In any case, there are Black people who find themselves Republicans and voted for Trump. They exist.
However most of them aren’t partisan operatives. And Javon Evans is. On the very first web page of Google outcomes for Evans is his X profile. His profile identifies him because the communications director for the Houston Younger Republicans.
A couple of Google outcomes beneath that led to the Fb web page for the Houston Younger Republicans, the place a fast have a look at their photographs reveals a put up exhibiting their 2025 govt board. Marked very clearly is Javon Evans because the group’s communications director.
I posted my findings to my Bluesky account on Thursday simply after 10 PM ET. I didn’t have affirmation that the Occasions’ Javon Evans and the Houston Younger Republicans’ Javon Evans had been the identical particular person, however the Occasions has a well-documented historical past of passing off Republican operatives as simply common residents.
I checked the Occasions story on Friday morning, solely to search out that it had been altered. The story now notes that Evans “is the communications director for Houston Young Republicans.”
Apart from a dateline studying “Updated Feb. 21, 2025, 10:37 a.m. ET,” the story doesn’t point out what was modified. There is no such thing as a correction discover. The Occasions’ stealth edit considerably alters the impression of the part on Evans and calls into query the article’s general credibility.
However the Occasions hasn’t bothered to tell its readers about any of this.
Tales like this distort essential points affecting the lives of not simply Black People but additionally all People. Trump is making an attempt to roll again lots of the civil rights features that folks died to safe for future generations. He’s attacking variety in training, the armed forces, the civil service, and a number of different aspects of American life.
Presenting the views of a partisan operative—significantly one who’s Black—with out context helps to provide Trump a permission slip to additional erode these features.
Trump is an unrepentant racist who has stated Black immigrants come from “shithole” nations. He has praised police brutality and known as for the killing of harmless younger Black males. Black voters largely don’t assist Trump. Within the 2024 election, he obtained solely 13% of the Black vote and did even worse amongst Black ladies, with solely 7% voting for him, based on exit polls.
Evans’ views don’t signify these of even half of the Black voters, however the Occasions has proven over time a steadfast dedication to presenting “both sides” to points that don’t have two equally distinct factors of view. It’s the identical mindset that led the put up to endlessly harp on Hillary Clinton’s emails and Joe Biden’s age whereas giving quick shrift to issues about Trump’s bigotry, corruption, and decaying thoughts.
The New York Occasions’ slogan is “All the News That’s Fit to Print,” however on this occasion and too many others, that information pushes right-wing propaganda. And once they get caught, they attempt to clear up the proof and fake nothing occurred.
