Miguel Almaguer, an NBC News correspondent, has been suspended following reporting on an attack on Paul Pelosi in October. Paul is the husband of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
In his report, Almaguer shared details that raised questions about the attack.
The Daily Beast reports that during his on-air segment, Almaguer inferred Nancy Pelosi’s husband was not in danger when officers arrived at their San Francisco home.
According to the New York Post, Almaguer angered some on the left when he suggested that Pelosi “didn’t let on that he was in danger when cops showed up at his San Francisco home right before he was assaulted with a hammer.”
In his Nov. 4 report, Almaguer said:
“After a ‘knock and announce,’ the front door was opened by Mr. Pelosi. The 82-year-old did not immediately declare an emergency or tried to leave his home but instead began walking several feet back into the foyer toward the assailant and away from police.”
The Daily Beast noted that “hours later, the report … was scrubbed from NBC’s website.”
A note on the website read: “This piece has been removed from publication because it did not meet NBC News reporting standards.”
However, by the time NBC pulled the report, conservative news outlets were running with the story, and new questions regarding the accuracy of the initial reports abounded.
Amid criticism, NBC has remained silent on their decision to retract the story, but brought the matter front and center today when it was revealed the outlet suspended journalist Miguel Almaguer, allegedly for “the erroneous story.”
The New York Post noted that “right-wing media outlets took the report and its retraction as proof of a politically motivated cover-up in the attack.”
When questioned about why the outlet retracted Almaguer’s report, NBC News representative Stephen Labaton told Confider: “We don’t comment on personnel matters.”
Conservative news outlets have requested the release of video footage from the home surveillance system and officer body cams. Those requests have not been heeded.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson has led in pressing for transparency in investigating the matter. “Transparency ensures public confidence in the system — it’s the only thing that does,” Tucker said during an Oct. 31 monologue.
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