Savannah Guthrie, the co-anchor of the Today Show, announced on Tuesday afternoon that she had interviewed Nicholas Sandmann, the teenager in a viral video that showed him staring at a Native American elder amid protests outside the Lincoln Memorial over the weekend.
The video has sparked major controversy, with some people defending Sandmann and the other teenagers by claiming they were provoked by other protesters. Others believe the teen was trying to intimidate Nathan Phillips, the elder who was also in the video.
Guthrie announced in a tweet that her interview with Sandmann would run on Wednesday, but the news didn’t go over well with some people online. As of Tuesday afternoon, the tweet had been thoroughly ratioed, with nearly 10,000 people replying to it compared to just 743 retweeting it and around 2,500 people liking it.
“Sitting down with Nicholas Sandmann – the student at the center of the protest controversy at the Lincoln Memorial. Airs tomorrow on @TODAYshow,” she wrote.
Sitting down with Nicholas Sandmann – the student at the center of the protest controversy at the Lincoln Memorial. Airs tomorrow on @TODAYshow pic.twitter.com/oSb8ljunQN
— Savannah Guthrie (@SavannahGuthrie) January 22, 2019
One of the major points of contention among people online was that Guthrie did not say whether or not she was having an interview with Phillips. He has spoken out about it, including telling CNN that he witnessed “hate” during the incident.
Please tell me you’re also going to sit down with Nathan Philips, the Native American elder who Sandmann and his friends utterly disrespected. https://t.co/v4ZPckabpW
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) January 22, 2019
If you were really smart you would interview Nathan Philips as well but what do i know. https://t.co/3wS0YeAEgA
— Fat Lever (@enigma3223) January 22, 2019
If we’re doing “Both sides” journalism we should it properly. They should give equal time and coverage to Nathan Phillips, the Vietnam war vet and elder. His interview should be on right after or before. https://t.co/BePagcPHOK
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) January 22, 2019
Where’s the interview with Nathan Phillips? Hope you’re getting both sides of this. https://t.co/QCwmV78TlC
— Lauren Cox (@Iaurencox) January 22, 2019
So. Will you be interviewing Nathan Phillips as well? https://t.co/DCKUByvaM9
— Cowboy ★ ConStar (@ConStar24) January 22, 2019
On Tuesday, CNN reported that Twitter had suspended a left-leaning account that helped spread a video of the incident between Phillips and Sandmann, with some experts believing it was amplified by anonymous accounts.
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