Media

Yahoo News reporter apologizes to Trump after asking question with inaccurate statistic

by Joe Concha - 04/28/20 6:16 PM ET

Yahoo News reporter Hunter Walker apologized to President Trump after asking him a question on Tuesday that contained inaccurate information regarding per capita testing output between the United States and South Korea.

“Overall, South Korea has done five times more tests than the U.S. per capita,” Walker asked Trump during an Oval Office meeting that included Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) “Why is that?”

“I don’t think that’s true,” Trump replied.

“That is true,” Walker insisted.

Deborah Birx, a doctor who serves as the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, jumped in to share correct statistics.

“South Korea’s testing was 11 per 100,000 [citizens], and we are at 17 per 100,000,” Birx noted.

“Are you going to apologize, Yahoo?” Trump asked. “That’s why you’re Yahoo and nobody knows who the hell you are.”

“Nobody knows who you are, including me,” Trump later said. “You ought to get your facts right.”

Trump to reporter: “Are you going to apologize, Yahoo? That’s why you’re Yahoo and nobody knows who the hell you are. That’s why nobody knows who you are including me.” pic.twitter.com/AGNi5zBvRO

— The Hill (@thehill) April 28, 2020

Walker later took to Twitter to apologize to the president, saying he had misread a testing chart.

“In the Oval Office, I asked about test rates and infection rates compared to South Korea. President Trump and Dr. Birx said I was wrong that they’ve done more tests per capita. Trump said I should apologize. They did not address multiple questions about our higher infection rate,” said Walker in a tweet to his more than 43,000 followers.

“We have passed South Korea in the number of tests conducted per capita. I misread the mobile version of this chart and am sorry about that, @realDonaldTrump. Our infection rate is far higher though as I noted,” the reporter wrote.

We have passed South Korea in the number of tests conducted per capita. I misread the mobile version of this chart and am sorry about that @realDonaldTrump . Our infection rate is far higher though as I noted.

— Hunter Walker (@hunterw) April 28, 2020