The Washington Post sparked ridicule over the weekend for publishing an obituary that called Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi an “austere religious scholar.”
President Trump announced Sunday that al-Baghdadi was killed during a U.S. military operation in northwest Syria, bringing “the world’s number one terrorist leader to justice.” The president said the terrorist leader was cornered by U.S. forces in a “dead-end tunnel,” where he detonated a suicide vest, killing himself and three of what were believed to be his children.
The Post published an obituary for al-Baghdadi that was originally titled, “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Islamic State’s ‘terrorist-in-chief,’ dies at 48.” The headline was then inexplicably changed to, “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, austere religious scholar at helm of Islamic State, dies at 48.”
The headline sparked significant backlash, including from Mr. Trump’s own children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump.
Enemy of the people??? With headlines like this and the fact that the @washingtonpost and others in the MSM have harsher criticism for The President of The United States than they do for the leader of ISIS, a known serial rapist and murderer, you really have to start to wonder!!! pic.twitter.com/JH448bCA7Y
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) October 27, 2019
Unreal.
al-Baghdadi described as “Austere religious scholar” instead of “terrorist” in Washpo Obituary headline. pic.twitter.com/3fTxBMInLo
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) October 27, 2019
The Post later changed the title to read, “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, extremist leader of Islamic State, dies at 48.”
The paper’s vice president of communications later tweeted an explanation, writing, “Regarding our al-Baghdadi obituary, the headline should never have read that way and we changed it quickly.”
The mix-up sparked the snarky hashtag #WaPoDeathNotices, where users publish glowing obituary headlines for notorious killers.
John Wayne Gacy, eccentric children’s performer, dies at 52. #WaPoDeathNotices
— Ashe Schow (@AsheSchow) October 27, 2019
John Wilkes Booth, noted thespian, dies at age 24. #WaPoDeathNotices
— Justin (@trojanjustin) October 27, 2019
Adolf Hitler, passionate community planner and dynamic public speaker, dies at 56.#WaPoDeathNotices
— Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) October 27, 2019
