Social media users took no prisoners on Thursday after NBC News published a bogus “fact check” of Governor Ron DeSantis’ claim that he sent rescue for over 700 Americans in Israel.
At this week’s GOP debate, DeSantis referenced the rescue operation that he enacted by executive order last month, in which the Florida Division of Emergency Management chartered several flights to recover Floridians who become stranded following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
“Biden’s neglect has been atrocious. We had Floridians that were over there after the attack. He left them stranded; they couldn’t get flights out. So I scrambled resources in Florida. I sent planes over to Israel, and I brought back over 700 people to safety,” DeSantis said Wednesday.
“There could have been more hostages had we not acted,” DeSantis added, responding to a question on how he would handle the Hamas conflict if elected President. “So, there’s a difference between words and deeds. We acted and we saved lives.”
But NBC News quickly slapped DeSantis’s comments with an overzealous fact check. The liberal newsroom’s verdict: the Governor’s statement was only “half true.”
“The Biden administration initially told Americans in Israel to take advantage of commercial flights on Oct. 9, but flights from Israel to the U.S. were scarce and prices were reportedly as high as $25,000,” Initially conceded Peter W. Klein, an executive editor for the network. “Some Americans in Israel at the time posted on social media that they were stranded,”
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"DeSantis didn't personally fly the planes, so we rate the statement as false."
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) November 9, 2023
Then, Klein described the evacuation’s logistics, emphasizing that DeSantis’s “primary role” was providing funding for the effort.
“On Oct. 12, DeSantis signed an executive order that allowed the Florida Division of Emergency Management to pay for Americans in Israel to fly back to the U.S. The flights, however, were organized by Tampa-based nonprofit Project Dynamo, which specializes in rescuing Americans in distress, and DeSantis’ primary role was to fund the flights.
On the same day, the U.S. announced they would help Americans evacuate on charter flights. Some 1,500 Americans did leave Israel with help from the U.S. government. U.S. citizens were responsible for paying for the government flights, while DeSantis footed the bill for his flights.”
After explaining the logistics behind the evacuation, NBC nonetheless concluded that DeSantis’ remarks were only “half true.”
“How is that partly true, then? It’s 100% true,” one commenter replied. “It’s like saying ‘partly true. Ron DeSantis didn’t make the airplane.'”
“Okay, I get it — it wasn’t that he brought back 700 people, it’s that 700 people were brought back. Got it,” another user joked.
“NBC News tarnishing the great job it did with the debate with fake fact checks. Journalism dies in broad daylight.” ~ The Cuban Dude [@dude_cuban]
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Idiots at @NBCNews rate DeSantis' claim he evacuated 700 people from Israel as "half true" because… well I don't know why. Because he didn't personally pilot the planes? I don't know. Let me know if y'all figure it out. https://t.co/7zDDnJWWHu
— Tyler Norris (@TXTylerNorris) November 9, 2023
NBC "News," home of the Russia collusion scam and a a thousand other info ops, gets community noted for a cartoonishly fake fact check of Ron DeSantis. Even their stupid "fact" "check" admits it's true, while rating it somehow false. https://t.co/NuQid4SOMC
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) November 9, 2023
In one embarrassing moment, the NBC “fact check” was slapped with a fact check after ‘community notes’ users on X rated the post misleading.
“The governor ordered the evacuation via an [executive order]. The mechanics of how it was done doesn’t negate the fact that the Governor’s statement is true.”
The community note has since been removed, however.
“Suppose the flights were not funded, would they have happened?” one commenter said under NBC’s post.
“It’s time to retire your brand, shut down your site and allow Chipotle to turn your offices into productive burrito making machines.”
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