A Wall Street Journal reporter with a history of anti-Trump bias claimed on Wednesday that the White House covered the name of the USS John McCain during President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Japan — which was later disputed by multiple sources.
In a tweet that went viral, WSJ reporter Rebecca Ballhaus wrote that “a tarp was hung over the ship’s name ahead of the trip, and sailors—who wear caps bearing the ship’s name—were given the day off for Trump’s visit.”
“A tarp was hung over the ship’s name ahead of the president’s trip, according to photos reviewed by the Journal, and sailors were directed to remove any coverings from the ship that bore its name,” Ballhaus wrote in her report. “After the tarp was taken down, a barge was moved closer to the ship, obscuring its name. Navy officials acknowledge the barge was moved but said it was not moved to obscure the name of the ship.”
Ballhaus’s tweet and report went viral and were used to immediately attack the president before any additional information was able to come out. – READ MORE