Twitter Scorns CNN For False Republican Label on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam

As pressure mounted around Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam regarding a yearbook photo from 1984, the Democratic governor released an apologetic video on his Twitter account. But when CNN aired the video on Anderson Cooper 360 Friday evening, it labeled Northam with an (R) as Republican, and then removed the electronically-generated caption, or chyron, and later replaced it with (D).

But with a world quick on the electronic draw, social media quickly and fiercely tabbed the Cable News Network as falsely portraying Northam as Republican.

A photo of Northam in medical school surfaced Friday, and it got the governor in hot water — as hot as earlier this week when the former pediatric doctor signed off on late-term abortions. The photo is two people — one dressed in blackface and the other a KKK member in white robe and hood — in a yearbook from Eastern Virginia Medical School.

Folks on Twitter quickly pointed out the first part of the video where Northam was called Republican instead of Democrat.

Nothing to see here just CNN labeling Ralph Northam a ***Republican*** pic.twitter.com/zTGHqG17JE

— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) February 2, 2019

This tweet says Cooper called Northam a Republican prior to the video, but instead Cooper actually identified Northam correctly as a Democrat, but the chyron is what mislabeled the governor.

CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360°" falsely claims that Virginia Democrat Governor Ralph Northam is a member of the Republican Party

Watch the Chyron at the bottom as they show the video of Northam.

CNN identifies him as "Gov. Ralph Northam (R) Virginia" pic.twitter.com/3pMUNUlIJG

— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) February 2, 2019

And CNN was again called a "propagandist for the far left."

CNN labels bigoted, racist Democrat Governor Ralph Northam a ***REPUBLICAN***

CNN is propaganda for the Left. pic.twitter.com/j75iTtnHIU

— Benny (@bennyjohnson) February 2, 2019

And one of many more that pointed out CNN's gaffe.

CNN Falsely Labels Virginia Governor Ralph Northam as Republican Amid Blackface Controversy https://t.co/O2dH3Y7QdJ

— Cassandra Fairbanks (@CassandraRules) February 2, 2019

Hostile fire shot both ways on social media not just during the mislabeling that was quickly corrected, but from Republicans and Democrats alike in this latest firestorm.

Virginia Republicans and most Democrats have called Northam to resign, and so have some of the nation's top Democrats, including 2020 presidential contenders Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Julian Castro and many other leaders around the country.

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Scott McDonald is a Newsweek deputy night editor based in Cape Coral, Florida. His focus is assigning and writing stories ... Read more

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