CNN gets the date wrong on a WikiLeaks email to the Trumps
■ The claim
CNN reported that on Sept. 4, 2016, an email offered Donald Trump and Donald Trump Jr. a website and decryption key for hacked WikiLeaks documents, which would have been before the documents were public.
■ What actually happened
The Washington Post obtained the email and found it was sent on Sept. 14, 2016, the day after WikiLeaks had already released the material publicly. CNN corrected the date and headline and acknowledged the email was less significant than it had reported. CNN said its two sources had given the wrong date and that it did not believe they meant to mislead.
■ The proof
CNN's correction of Dec. 8, 2017, appended to the story and reported by CNNMoney.
■ Original reporting
- CNN Wire story as syndicated (WTVR), with correction appendedhttps://www.wtvr.com/2017/12/08/email-to-trump-offered-wikileaks-documents
- Mediaite: original report (with later update)https://www.mediaite.com/online/trump-campaign-reportedly-received-email-providing-access-to-wikileaks-docs-ahead-of-election
■ Corrections, findings & records
- CNNMoney: CNN corrects email storyhttps://money.cnn.com/2017/12/08/media/cnn-correction-email-story/
- TheWrap: CNN issues correction, says initial reporting was incorrecthttps://www.thewrap.com/cnn-issues-correction-in-trump-jr-wikileaks-report-cnns-initial-reporting-was-incorrect/
■ Wayback Machine copies
Stories sometimes get edited after publication. These links open the Internet Archive's earliest snapshot of each original.
- Archive copy: CNN Wire story as syndicated (WTVR), with correction appendedhttps://web.archive.org/web/2/https://www.wtvr.com/2017/12/08/email-to-trump-offered-wikileaks-documents
- Archive copy: Mediaite: original report (with later update)https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://www.mediaite.com/online/trump-campaign-reportedly-received-email-providing-access-to-wikileaks-docs-ahead-of-election
■ Grade
RETRACTED: The outlet itself retracted, corrected, or settled. How we grade →