Vice retracts two stories about Trump Disney World robot

Vice’s Motherboard on Wednesday retracted two reports about Walt Disney World’s addition of President Trump to “The Hall of Presidents” exhibit, saying it identified “factual errors” in the stories.

“After a thorough investigation into the sourcing of two stories, ‘Here’s the Secret Backstage Trump Drama at Walt Disney World’s Hall of Presidents’ and ‘Behind the Scenes of Disney’s Donald Trump ‘Hall of Presidents’ Installation’, and the identification of several factual errors, we have decided to retract both pieces,” the website said in an editorial note.

“We are conducting a full editorial review to pinpoint how this source was vetted, and how these stories were approved and published in violation of our usual editorial workflow. We fell short of our standards, and regret the error.”

{mosads}The second report, published on Monday, quoted a source describing an alleged back and forth between Disney and Trump aides. The source claimed that Disney had been battling with Trump’s team, who insisted on writing the speech for the robot.

Walt Disney World disputed the report, saying it was “inaccurate.”

“As we have stated, President Trump will have a speaking role in the Hall of Presidents like every president since 1993,” vice president of communications Jacquee Wahler told The Hill in an email. “We have been working closely with the White House and the president’s recording session has been scheduled. We have repeatedly stated that the attraction will re-open in late 2017.” 

Following the second Vice report, Thomas Smith, the editorial content director for Disney Parks, published a blog post saying Trump’s robot would speak in the exhibit and that Disney had been working with the Trump administration to create the recording.

“Despite some media reports to the contrary, President Trump will have a speaking role in The Hall of Presidents, like every president since 1993,” Smith wrote.

“We have been working closely with the current White House — just as we have with previous administrations — and the president’s recording session has been scheduled. The attraction will re-open in late 2017.”