AP Called Out For Claim That Target Staff Were Subject To “Violent Confrontations” Over Trans/Pride Products

As we highlighted yesterday, Target was clear in pointing out that it isn’t removing the stuff because it’s Satanist and pushing sexualisation and gender ideology on kids, but rather because they have “experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being.”

The AP took it further, however, claiming that Target has seen “intense backlash from some customers including violent confrontations with its workers.”

The report was altered without notification after it was challenged by Katrina Trinko, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Signal. While the confrontations claim remains, the word “violent” has been removed.

It now reads “Target said that customers knocked down Pride displays at some stores, angrily approached workers and posted threatening videos on social media from inside the stores.”

Pointing out the deception, Trinko writes “Again, what are the specifics? What is a threatening video?” further demanding to know “What constitutes angrily approaching a worker? How many customers at how many stores knocked down Pride displays?”

It appears that one video surfaced of one person taking a part of a pride display and throwing it on the ground, which prompted gay Democratic California State Senator Scott Wiener to label it “terrorism”:

Trinko comments that it is not acceptable “for Target and the media to imply violence if there in fact isn’t violence,” adding “That’s not a light accusation.”

Trinko also notes “Asked about why the word ‘violent’ was removed and no correction or editor’s note appended, and whether The Associated Press still believed the word ‘violent’ was accurate, Lauren Easton, vice president of communications, replied by email: ‘As AP continued to report out the story, we were able to provide more specific examples of the incidents that took place and we updated the story accordingly.’”

In other words, ‘our bullshit was called out and we tried to quietly memory hole it.’

 Trinko continues, “insinuating conservatives are dangerous and a genuine threat to the safety of others is merely a new tactic for companies and ideologues impacted by conservative boycotts.”

“This is the Left testing out a new playbook. They’re frightened by what’s happening to Bud Light, which continues to grapple with massive declines in sales. Leftist activists know that having corporations side with them and promote leftist values is crucial to their long-term success,” Trinko further urges.

Meanwhile, a real (non-terroristic) boycott is impacting Target, with the company seeing a $9.3 billion decrease in market capitalization, as the value of its shares fell more than 12.6% in one week.

Conservative commentator Greg Price obtained an internal Target email that indicates the company is now desperately trying to shift away from one woke campaign, instead replacing it with another.

The email states “Yesterday was a very hard day for Target, and as CEO Brian Cornell said, thank you for the care you’ve shown each other, our frontline teams, and the LGBTQIA+ community.”

It goes on to state “Today brings more reflection, pain and the need for continued care as our team, hometown and world remember the murder of George Floyd.”

The rest of the email betrays how infested with woke culture the company has become:

“As you make space to take care of yourself and each other, know that you can always tap into these tools from Team Member LIfe Resources, and as Mental Health Awareness Month continues, turn to Take Five to Take Care hub for more wellbeing support,” it states.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton noted how Target initially doubled down on it’s Pride/trans/satanist merch, then attacked its own customers while quickly back peddling and pulling or scaling back the stuff.