New York Times headline ‘Trump urges unity vs. racism’ draws strong criticism from Democrats

A photo of the front page of Tuesday’s New York Times sparked immediate criticism on Monday night – including from several 2020 Democratic presidential candidates.

The headline read, “Trump urges unity vs. racism.” It comes after President Donald Trump addressed the nation following mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, that killed nine and 22 people, respectively.

The headline didn’t sit well with a number of Democrats.

“Let this front page serve as a reminder of how white supremacy is aided by – and often relies upon – the cowardice of mainstream institutions,” tweeted Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

Let this front page serve as a reminder of how white supremacy is aided by – and often relies upon – the cowardice of mainstream institutions. https://t.co/ynjgtT66yI

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 6, 2019

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, who told CNN over the weekend that Trump was “responsible for this,” said via Twitter: “Lives literally depend on you doing better, NYT. “Please do.”

Fellow Democratic presidential candidates Kirsten Gillibrand and Beto O’Rourke – who called the headline “unbelievable” – also sounded off on Twitter.

That’s not what happened. https://t.co/m6eIZOARcZ

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) August 6, 2019

That’s not what happened. https://t.co/m6eIZOARcZ

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) August 6, 2019

Even a New York Times contributor was taken aback by the headline. Op-ed contributing writer Wajahat Ali tweeted: “I write for the NYT. This is a terrible headline.”

Trump has repeatedly faced criticism for his stance on immigration. He also recently tweeted four Democratic congresswomen should “go back” to the “crime-infested places from which they came.”

Trumps tweets while condemned as racist by the U.S. House of Representatives received support outside of Democrat-controlled venues.

The Times’ headline was changed for the newspaper’s next edition, reading “Assailing hate but not guns.”

Ali tweeted appreciation: “This one is on point! Thank you!”

Both front pages were shared by New York Times associate masthead editor Tom Jolly on Twitter. The newspaper has not said whether the headline was changed because of the online criticism.