Seattle Times criticized for saying Trump 'falsely' claimed BLM protesters took over much of the city in 2020

Social media users criticized the Seattle Times this week for saying former President Trump “falsely claimed” during the debate that Black Lives Matter/Antifa protesters took over “a large portion” of Seattle during the 2020 riots.

In a story published the day after his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, the newspaper criticized Trump for misreporting the size of the Capitol protest (CHOP). Trump said during the debate that the protest that wrested control of several blocks from Seattle local authorities was “large,” while the newspaper corrected him by saying it was only “six blocks” and “fluctuated.”

X-rated accounts criticized the outlet for its petty fact-checking. Post Millennial reporter Katie Daviscourt said, “I can’t believe this is a story published in the Seattle Times. Shame on them.”

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The Seattle Times came under fire this week after disputing former President Trump's recent claim that the protests at the Capitol in Seattle had taken over a “large portion” of the city. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images))

During the debate, Trump brought up CHOP to highlight the hypocrisy of his opponents who blamed him for the January 6 Capitol riots but supported the previous summer's riots.

“When are the people who burned down Minneapolis going to be prosecuted or Seattle? They went to Seattle, they took over a large percentage of the city of Seattle. When are these people going to be prosecuted?” he asked, noting that Harris had raised money for bail for those arrested during the BLM riots that summer.

The CHOP area was occupied by protesters “from about June 10 to July 1, 2020,” the Times reported. The area was the site of numerous shootings, including one that resulted in the death of teenager Antonio Mays Jr.

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The outlet disputed Trump's description of the size of the CHOP zone, writing: “Former President Donald Trump referred to the protest on Capitol Hill in Seattle during the presidential debate Tuesday night, falsely claiming that protesters had taken over much of the city.”

“The size of the area fluctuated, but it essentially occupied about six blocks surrounding the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct building and Cal Anderson Park, extending east to 12th Avenue, west to Broadway, south to East Pine Street and north to East Denny Way.”

SEATTLE POLICE TAKE OVER CHOP POLICE STATION, ARRESTING SEVERAL PROTESTERS ON DURKAN'S ORDERS

The word “people” is spray painted over the word “police” at the closed Seattle Police Department station, surrounded by the area known as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), in Seattle, Washington, June 11, 2020. ((Photo by Jason Redmond / AFP) (Photo by JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images))

Other social media users criticized the article.

Conservative account Gunter Eagleman noted: “Wow, you still haven't deleted that. That says it all.”

Former model and Trump supporter Adrianne Curry blasted the outlet, writing: “Are you kidding me? You should be ashamed of leaving your homes, you communist propagandists.”

Journalist Andy Ngo responded to the article, saying, “This is disgusting gaslighting by @vonnaiphair and his editors at the Seattle Times. I was on the ground undercover. As their own reporting indicated at the time, SIX city blocks in a densely populated commercial and residential area were occupied by armed force. The extremists were BLM-Antifa groups.”

He added: “People were killed in the chaos and anarchy that lasted for weeks. Black teenagers were labeled white supremacists and shot.”

The Seattle Times did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

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