Released to the public · 31 OCT 2026File TBL-0036
RETRACTED
Newsweek: Trump's Thanksgiving of 'Tweeting and Golfing'
■ The claim
Newsweek reported that Trump would spend Thanksgiving 2019 tweeting and golfing.
■ What actually happened
Newsweek's November 28, 2019 story described Trump's holiday plans that way, while he was in fact making a secret trip to visit U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Newsweek substantially rewrote the story that evening. It then said it had corrected the story, fired the reporter, and demoted an editor.
■ The proof
Trump's surprise visit to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, was publicly confirmed the same day. Newsweek updated the story and announced the personnel actions.
■ Original reporting
- TheWrap: Trump clowns Newsweek over Thanksgiving storyhttps://www.thewrap.com/trump-clowns-newsweek-for-suggesting-he-would-spend-all-thanksgiving-tweeting/
■ Corrections, findings & records
- iMediaEthics: Newsweek reporter fired, editor demotedhttps://www.imediaethics.org/newsweek-reporter-fired-editor-demoted-for-trump-thanksgiving-article/
- Yahoo News: Newsweek fires reporter over Thanksgiving reporthttps://www.yahoo.com/news/newsweek-fires-journalist-reported-trump-142400157.html
- MPR News: Trump in Afghanistan for surprise Thanksgiving visithttps://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/11/28/trump-in-afghanistan-for-surprise-thanksgiving-visit
■ Wayback Machine copies
Stories sometimes get edited after publication. These links open the Internet Archive's earliest snapshot of each original.
- Archive copy: TheWrap: Trump clowns Newsweek over Thanksgiving storyhttps://web.archive.org/web/2/https://www.thewrap.com/trump-clowns-newsweek-for-suggesting-he-would-spend-all-thanksgiving-tweeting/
Who it helped: DemocratsPortrayed Trump as idle while he was visiting troops.
■ Grade
RETRACTED: The outlet itself retracted, corrected, or settled. How we grade →