This summer has seen a historical reckoning with how the country views the past. Yet when liberals and Democrats are the target of reassessment, journalists get nervous. Whether it’s the racism of Planned Parenthood’s founder or Woodrow Wilson, the media would rather you not ask too many questions.
Speaking of Wilson, back in June, Princeton University decided to remove the 28th President from its Public Policy School. All three networks covered this development, but they ignored one key fact about the Confederate-loving, KKK-defending politician: He was a Democrat.
On the June 27 Nightly News, Kate Snow carefully explained, “In New Jersey, Princeton University announced today it is removing Woodrow Wilson's name from buildings on that campus citing the former President's racist thinking and policies. On the June 27 World News Sunday, Tom Llamas said the school made the decision “citing Wilson's history of racist views and policies.”
On the June 29 Today, Miguel Almaguer mentioned the cringe-inducing facts about Wilson:
Over the weekend, Princeton University said it will remove Woodrow Wilson's name from its Public Policy School and one of its residential colleges. "Wilson's racism was significant and consequential even by the standards of his own time," wrote the university president. Citing, "Wilson's segregation of the federal civil service after it had been racially integrated for decades."
Not mentioned in any of this? Wilson being a Democratic President. On the June 28 Meet the Press, Eddie Glaude said this of the politician's legacy: “It should be just the facts. We should tell the truth about who he is and who he was, right? Tell the truth about his achievements and tell the truth about his faults and failures.”
One place to start with the “truth” is to tell viewers what party he belonged to. Here’s how the History Channel described Wilson’s racism:
Wilson was also a segregationist who wrote a history textbook praising the Confederacy and, in particular, the Ku Klux Klan. As president, he rolled back hard-fought economic progress for Black Americans, overseeing the segregation of multiple agencies of the federal government.
For more on the long history of bigotry of the Democratic Party, see a NewsBusters fact sheet on the topic, what we call Facts Feared by Leftist Media.
A June 30 USA Today “fact check” falsely pretended that Democrats didn’t found the KKK or start the Civil War. (They did.)
For more examples from our FLASHBACK series, which we call the NewsBusters Time Machine, go here.
The propaganda on the June 27 World News Saturday was sponsored by Capital One and Nature’s Bounty. Click on the links to let them know how you feel.
Partial transcripts are below:
NBC Nightly News
6/27/2020KATE SNOW: In New Jersey, Princeton University announced today it is removing Woodrow Wilson’s name from buildings on that campus citing the former President’s racist thinking and policies.
World News Saturday
6/27/2020TOM LLAMAS: Time now for our index and Princeton will remove former President Woodrow Wilson's name from its Public Policy school. The university refers, reversing a decision from 2016, citing Wilson's history of racist views and policies. One of the residential colleges will also be renamed. Wilson served as the university's President until 1910.
This Week
6/28/2020GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Chris Christie, Princeton University in your state, the name Woodrow Wilson, President Wilson, coming off their public policy school. Remarkable moment there as well.
CHRIS CHRISTIE: It, it is, George, and, and my son, our oldest son is an alum of Princeton University, graduated there from 2016. And I asked him this morning what he thought about it, and he said he's spoken to a number of his friends who are minority alums of Princeton who are overjoyed this morning. And you know what, he said to me, and he's right, that if in fact that's the way they feel about it, he's happy for them and he's happy for the university that he calls his alma mater. I think it's the right move, and I'll tell you this on the, on the Confederate statues, the confederate statues, these, these men were traitors. They were traitors that tried to divide this country in order to keep slavery in place. And so, I never understood Confederate statues.
Meet the Press
6/28/2020CHUCK TODD:: I'm curious, very quickly. What Woodrow Wilson’s place in history now, Eddie? What should it -- what should it be?
EDDIE GLAUDE: Well, it should be -- very quick, it should be just the facts. We should tell the truth about who he is and who he was, right? Tell the truth about his achievements and tell the truth about his faults and failures. That's what we need to do and we need to give an interpretation of his presidency that actually reveals how flawed we are and how we are always on the road -- not to necessarily to a more perfect union, but to a more just society.
Today
6/29/2020MIGUEL ALMAGUER: Over the weekend, Princeton University said it will remove Woodrow Wilson's name from its Public Policy School and one of its residential colleges. "Wilson's racism was significant and consequential even by the standards of his own time," wrote the university president. Citing, "Wilson's segregation of the federal civil service after it had been racially integrated for decades." Along with many documented examples of Wilson’s white supremacist views.
CBS Weekend News
6/27/2020JAMIE YUCCAS: Today, Princeton University announced it will remove Woodrow Wilson's name from its Public and International Affairs School. The university cited the former president's, quote, "Racist thinking and policies." The decision follows a global debate on racism and civil rights.
