Like many viral outrage stories, the narrative became more complicated as more facts emerged, and more people stepped forward to talk about what they saw and experienced in that moment. But the Covington story isn’t just a run-of-the-mill incident of viral outrage. It involved MAGA-hat-wearing teens and Native American activists. Those who shared the video in those first 24 hours, including many conservatives, seemed to feel it was emblematic of the vitriol and racism that drives the worst of American culture. But when new details shifted the story into more ambiguous territory, a well-oiled machine of pro-Trump personalities and sites saw an opportunity to strike.
The Post’s next story on the incident was headlined, “Viral standoff between a tribal elder and a high-schooler is more complicated than it first seemed.” The reporters attempted to flesh out what, exactly, happened near the Lincoln Memorial with more sources and eyewitnesses. One witness said he heard students chant “Build that wall” at the protesters — a chant that is not heard in any available video footage — and suggested that Phillips approached the group to intervene. Others described the ugly insults that members of the Black Israelite group hurled at the teens in the lead-up to the video, ramping up the tension. The March for Life, the nonprofit that organized the antiabortion rally that the Covington students were in town to support, deleted a statement condemning the teens. Instead, the group said it had decided to reserve judgment.
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