AP removes ‘fact-check’ from headline of fact-check on Trump’s opinion of Streep

The Associated Press conducted a fact-check story on Donald Trump’s assertion that actress Meryl Streep is “overrated.” But now the AP is backing away from whether its fact-check is actually a fact-check.

The Monday headline read, “FACT CHECK: Streep overrated? Trump picks a decorated star.”

The 300-word fact-check focused on Trump’s tweet dismissing Streep’s talent following her speech at the Golden Globe Awards that slammed the president-elect.

Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesn’t know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes. She is a…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2017

The fact-check concluded that Trump’s opinion was false, citing multiple top awards and honors Streep has won through her career.

{mosads}”While ‘overrated’ is an opinion, Streep, who took aim at Trump in her speech while accepting the Globes lifetime achievement award, holds the record for the most Academy Award nominations of any actor. She has earned 19 Oscar nominations and three wins, as well as a record 29 Golden Globe nominations and eight wins, and two Emmy Awards,” wrote the AP.

The fact-check goes on to note Streep has also been awarded a Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, the highest civilian honor given by the French government, and an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain, among others.

But after considerable mockery on social media regarding the decision to conduct a fact-check based on the opinion of of one person, the AP removed the “FACT CHECK:” portion from the headline.

This is hilarious. AP “fact checks” Trump’s claim that Streep’s overrated, and does so by noting she’s highly rated. https://t.co/1F7e3TxcIa

— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) January 9, 2017

This is why “fact-checking” is bad. The AP did a “fact check” of the claim that Meryl Streep is “overrated.” https://t.co/DsMLc0aBOu

— Josh Barro (@jbarro) January 9, 2017

The AP has determined that Meryl Streep is, in fact, not overrated. https://t.co/75rraO1aBU

— Liam Stack (@liamstack) January 10, 2017

The AP fact-checks an opinion (“Meryl Streep is overrated”), which defeats the point of fact checking. https://t.co/UGxH52qG4N

— Byron Tau (@ByronTau) January 10, 2017

the AP fact checked whether or not Meryl Streep is overrated because we live in hell https://t.co/bCtTybZzDe

— Adam H. Johnson (@adamjohnsonNYC) January 9, 2017

The AP headline that included “fact-check” was changed 90 minutes after its original publication.