

The viral Twitter posts claiming a group of Covington Catholic teenagers aggressively "surrounded" a Native American man on Friday and "mocked," "harassed" and "threatened" him are officially part of the biggest hate hoax in years.



An out-of-context video showing one teenager standing still and smiling (with other students around him singing a school chant) while Native American activist Nathan Phillips bangs a drum and chants in his face went viral Saturday on Twitter, quickly amassing over 5 million views.



The story was picked up by hundreds of news outlets -- without a hint of skepticism -- who portrayed the kids as evil racists.







The school themselves -- before investigating -- issued a statement condemning their own students and saying they may be expelled.







Phillips, who fought in the Vietnam War, says in an interview “I started going that way, and that guy in the hat stood in my way and we were at an impasse. He just blocked my way and wouldn’t allow me to retreat.” https://t.co/owlzVlxMAu — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 19, 2019

The Native American who apparently was being mocked by teens wearing MAGA hats in a viral video says he has "fear for those youth, fear for their future, fear for their souls, their spirit, what they're going to do to this country." pic.twitter.com/GQgvZAkPtQ — Ana Cabrera (@AnaCabrera) January 20, 2019

“Covington Catholic student bothering elder man� yet here is evidence of the man approaching them during their school cheer not disturbing anyone. Doesn’t make sense pic.twitter.com/SRYRJOIoKf � maria judy (@mariajudy_) January 19, 2019

Newly surfaced video shows Native American activist was not "surrounded" by #CovingtonCatholic students but instead *approached them* from afar. pic.twitter.com/brHMYpBUJC � Chris Menahan 🔹 (@infolibnews) January 20, 2019

This unedited video (with the original sound) is indisputable proof that the Native American man approached the Catholic school kids pic.twitter.com/cFi0qRYDg2 — PolishPatriot™️ (@PolishPatriotTM) January 20, 2019

That same group of MAGA kids get harassed by group of Black Men at March for Lives and noone says anything.

They even harass the one black kid for being friends with white people...

Where is the outrage? pic.twitter.com/s9vkJ4AXk5 � Joey Salads (@JoeySalads) January 19, 2019

Horrifying video showing Instagram user @CashBently harassing teenagers for wearing MAGA hats pic.twitter.com/swDOAoJ7vw � Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 19, 2019

Response from Cov Cath student who says he was present at the event in question in Washington.@Local12 pic.twitter.com/nqLD1pJY2u — Adam Clements (@AClementsWKRC) January 20, 2019

Racist #MarchForLife participants harass & mock this elderly Native American man at Indigenous Peoples March



In other words—while claiming to protest abortion, they mock Native Americans for protesting genocide of their babies😳



Incomprehensible hate😓https://t.co/FK8HEKNfJu � Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@MuslimIQ) January 19, 2019

This MAGA thug and his friends from @CovCathColonels in KY, should be identified and denied all work in perpetuity. Their bullying of a Native American veteran matches the taunting of Jesus. But thats not gays and abortion, so the school probably never taught them about that. pic.twitter.com/U3J8vOYIWy � Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) January 19, 2019

This Native American / MAGA kids incident is a dangerous warning to all of us.



It's a video where literally nothing happens yet all of these people are freaking out like the world is ending.



Very few people care about the truth they just want to be angry. � Tim Pool (@Timcast) January 20, 2019

We now have a 2 hour raw recording of the MAGA kids incident.



We can see



No chanting "build the wall" as far as I saw

Native group approaches about an hour after the kids were already there

"Black Activists" are Black Hebrew Israelites yelling Fagg**https://t.co/WmHAmsYOH8 � Tim Pool (@Timcast) January 20, 2019

the original narrative was that the MAGA kids sought out Natives and surrounded them - false



Kid blocked Native man from leaving - false



Kids harassed black activists - false � Tim Pool (@Timcast) January 20, 2019

Ben Shapiro siding with the Left before all the facts come in. pic.twitter.com/knkhMpbubb � The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) January 20, 2019

These principled conservatives will sell out innocent kids for an article in the Atlantic. � Seth Ginsberg (@GinsbergSeth) January 20, 2019

A viral video is going around showing MAGA hat wearing teens harassing a vet.



This behavior is despicable.



Given this moment - I’d like to remind everyone that no party “owns� hate or disrespect for the elderly. I filmed these young leftists assaulting a 71 yr old vet this fall pic.twitter.com/ONqenfJBkW � Benny (@bennyjohnson) January 20, 2019

No kid would ever wear a McCain 2008 cap. https://t.co/nkvW5qVrG2 � The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) January 20, 2019

I gotta tell ya that was my exact takeaway. The media didn't just lie, they created a story in direct opposition to the actual event and what happened. I don't think at that age I would have had that restraint but good on them and their parents for raising young men. https://t.co/WXwRrYYiiK � Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) January 20, 2019

The Smirk that broke the Left pic.twitter.com/MvyE6tKYDc � The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) January 20, 2019

Will the Washington Post issue a retraction? This would be a "fun" defamation fact pattern. https://t.co/Sp4WPuxBwS — Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) January 20, 2019

NY Times' top writer, Maggie Haberman, pushes for #CovingtonCatholic high school students to be expelled.



The fake news media's transition into school hall monitors is now complete. pic.twitter.com/kgJIAslqYL — Chris Menahan 🔹 (@infolibnews) January 20, 2019

I will represent the kids for free if they want to sue @maggieNYT for obvious libel. https://t.co/VmqVqIVNoe — Robert Barnes (@Barnes_Law) January 20, 2019

As "punch a nazi" continues its downward slide to punching a child. https://t.co/JWr31av6EI — Scott Greenfield (@ScottGreenfield) January 20, 2019

Just watched the full, unedited video of the MAGA kid and the Native American vet.



I’d like to amend this tweet.



The kid did absolutely nothing wrong. I regret the error. It makes this assault by leftists I witnessed all the more sick. https://t.co/JZOyMCnUtu — Benny (@bennyjohnson) January 20, 2019

Turns out that the Covington Catholic kids were the good guys in the story. Consider this my public apology for assuming otherwise in my Periscope yesterday. I got fooled by @CNN fake news. That's 100% on me. https://t.co/GhkWigsDQQ — Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) January 20, 2019

I just watched the unedited video of the high school kids at the March - they did nothing wrong, and I correct an earlier tweet



The left intentionally misreported the facts (typical) to destroy these kids lives to blame it on Trump



Media made this a top story to wreck lives — Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 20, 2019

Hollywood actor Chris Evans plays superhero Captain America on the big screen — bullies children in real life. pic.twitter.com/R9x50ys0bm — Chris Menahan 🔹 (@infolibnews) January 20, 2019

At 2 am Kathy Griffin was up trying to dox 15 year old boys.



That is what her life has become. pic.twitter.com/mb4CK0qnJ7 — Mike Cernovich 🦍🇺🇸 (@Cernovich) January 20, 2019

I apologize to the Covington Catholic boys. What Rod Dreher says of himself goes double for me. I jumped the gun and that was stupid and unjust. It is I, not the boys, who needs to take a lesson from this.



The Catholic Bonfire At The Stake https://t.co/uhYcgiLVWI via @amconmag — Robert P. George (@McCormickProf) January 20, 2019

The absolute state of NRO. 😂🤣



That ratio! pic.twitter.com/eyEKLZWTFW — Chris Menahan 🔹 (@infolibnews) January 20, 2019

Witch hunt leader Calvin Stowell just deleted his mega-viral tweet falsely accusing #CovingtonCatholic students of screaming "build the wall" at Native Americans. https://t.co/BtBjlDMwTr pic.twitter.com/GYbwySG98n — Chris Menahan 🔹 (@infolibnews) January 20, 2019

Shaun King is painting these kids as "the face of terrorism" pic.twitter.com/SY8d4i6EQ9 — Nick Monroe (@nickmon1112) January 20, 2019

For some reason people are attacking the parents of #CovingtonCatholic students



Here's another one pic.twitter.com/0AfVpkeAC6 — Nick Monroe (@nickmon1112) January 20, 2019

They are trying to get the mother fired from her job pic.twitter.com/OsVSQ2TD0B — Nick Monroe (@nickmon1112) January 20, 2019

The entire family tree of the #CovingtonCatholic student is being attacked pic.twitter.com/x4jP48k59H — Nick Monroe (@nickmon1112) January 20, 2019

this is insane pic.twitter.com/VkscRX840W — Nick Monroe (@nickmon1112) January 20, 2019

"My apologies. I latched on to the wrong name." pic.twitter.com/CxertJZdmq — Nick Monroe (@nickmon1112) January 20, 2019

The Extremist Left is going as far as CONTACTING COLLEGES and trying to sabotage any aspirations for a future that #CovingtonCatholic students have pic.twitter.com/XLn3iA8sLY — Nick Monroe (@nickmon1112) January 20, 2019

"I’d hate for the wrong kid to take the heat" pic.twitter.com/ayd4t2xjve — Nick Monroe (@nickmon1112) January 20, 2019

There are so many people going after #CovingtonCatholic parents pic.twitter.com/l2Kv1BlDYo — Nick Monroe (@nickmon1112) January 20, 2019

"we have to make sure he gets violated" pic.twitter.com/iOxcJHeYXx — Nick Monroe (@nickmon1112) January 20, 2019

One of the main ringleaders of the #CovingtonCatholic harassment campaign is someone by the name of William LeGate.



"If confirmed, I will release the names of the kid's parents" pic.twitter.com/uWqBqlmk2d — Nick Monroe (@nickmon1112) January 20, 2019

Attached is one of the threats against #CovingtonCatholic



They say "if you want to come with us tomorrow we're going to vandalize the fuck" out of it. pic.twitter.com/sguhhbtOv7 — Nick Monroe (@nickmon1112) January 20, 2019

(1/5) I was uncomfortable when I saw the video & description that first went viral, so I understand the initial reactions to the CovCath video. I chose to wait for more facts before responding because the narrative did not match what I know to be the character of these students. — Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 20, 2019

(3/5) I’ve now watched over an hour of other videos from 4 different cameras of the incident in front of the Lincoln Memorial. I urge everyone to watch the other videos before passing judgement. Would you have remained that composed at that age under those circumstances? — Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 20, 2019

(5/5) In the context of everything that was going on (which the media hasn’t shown) the parents and mentors of these boys should be proud, not ashamed, of their kids’ behavior. It is my honor to represent them. — Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 20, 2019

With the permission of Nick Sandmann and their parents. This is being released to the media. Please keep this family in your prayers. pic.twitter.com/xO8iI92C6i — Stephanie A. Dietz (@sdietz2) January 20, 2019

Statement of Nick Sandmann, Covington Catholic High School Junior, Regarding Incident at the Lincoln Memorial



I am providing this factual account of what happened on Friday afternoon at the Lincoln Memorial to correct misinformation and outright lies being spread about my family and me.



I am the student in the video who was confronted by the Native American protestor. I arrived at the Lincoln Memorial at 4:30 p.m. I was told to be there by 5:30 p.m., when our busses were due to leave Washington for the trip back to Kentucky. We had been attending the March for Life rally, and then had split up into small groups to do sightseeing.



When we arrived, we noticed four African American protestors who were also on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. I am not sure what they were protesting, and I did not interact with them. I did hear them direct derogatory insults at our school group.



The protestors said hateful things. They called us “racists,” “bigots,” “white crackers,” “faggots,” and “incest kids.” They also taunted an African American student from my school by telling him that we would “harvest his organs.” I have no idea what that insult means, but it was startling to hear.



Because we were being loudly attacked and taunted in public, a student in our group asked one of our teacher chaperones for permission to begin our school spirit chants to counter the hateful things that were being shouted at our group. The chants are commonly used at sporting events.



They are all positive in nature and sound like what you would hear at any high school. Our chaperone gave us permission to use our school chants. We would not have done that without obtaining permission from the adults in charge of our group.



At no time did I hear any student chant anything other than the school spirit chants. I did not witness or hear any students chant “build that wall” or anything hateful or racist at any time. Assertions to the contrary are simply false. Our chants were loud because we wanted to drown out the hateful comments that were being shouted at us by the protestors.



After a few minutes of chanting, the Native American protestors, who I hadn’t previously noticed, approached our group. The Native American protestors had drums and were accompanied by at least one person with a camera.



The protestor everyone has seen in the video began playing his drum as he waded into the crowd, which parted for him. I did not see anyone try to block his path. He locked eyes with me and approached me, coming within inches of my face. He played his drum the entire time he was in my face.



I never interacted with this protestor. I did not speak to him. I did not make any hand gestures or other aggressive moves. To be honest, I was startled and confused as to why he had approached me. We had already been yelled at by another group of protestors, and when the second group approached I was worried that a situation was getting out of control where adults were attempting to provoke teenagers.



I believed that by remaining motionless and calm, I was helping to diffuse the situation. I realized everyone had cameras and that perhaps a group of adults was trying to provoke a group of teenagers into a larger conflict. I said a silent prayer that the situation would not get out of hand.



During the period of the drumming, a member of the protestor’s entourage began yelling at a fellow student that we “stole our land” and that we should “go back to Europe.” I heard one of my fellow students begin to respond. I motioned to my classmate and tried to get him to stop engaging with the protestor, as I was still in the mindset that we needed to calm down tensions.



I never felt like I was blocking the Native American protestor. He did not make any attempt to go around me. It was clear to me that he had singled me out for a confrontation, although I am not sure why.



The engagement ended when one of our teachers told me the busses had arrived and it was time to go. I obeyed my teacher and simply walked to the busses. At that moment, I thought I had diffused the situation by remaining calm, and I was thankful nothing physical had occurred.



I never understood why either of the two groups of protestors were engaging with us, or exactly what they were protesting at the Lincoln Memorial. We were simply there to meet a bus, not become central players in a media spectacle. This is the first time in my life I’ve ever encountered any sort of public protest, let alone this kind of confrontation or demonstration.



I was not intentionally making faces at the protestor. I did smile at one point because I wanted him to know that I was not going to become angry, intimidated or be provoked into a larger confrontation. I am a faithful Christian and practicing Catholic, and I always try to live up to the ideals my faith teaches me – to remain respectful of others, and to take no action that would lead to conflict or violence.



I harbor no ill will for this person. I respect this person’s right to protest and engage in free speech activities, and I support his chanting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial any day of the week. I believe he should re-think his tactics of invading the personal space of others, but that is his choice to make.



I am being called every name in the book, including a racist, and I will not stand for this mob-like character assassination of my family’s name. My parents were not on the trip, and I strive to represent my family in a respectful way in all public settings.



I have received physical and death threats via social media, as well as hateful insults. One person threatened to harm me at school, and one person claims to live in my neighborhood. My parents are receiving death and professional threats because of the social media mob that has formed over this issue.



I love my school, my teachers and my classmates. I work hard to achieve good grades and to participate in several extracurricular activities. I am mortified that so many people have come to believe something that did not happen – that students from my school were chanting or acting in a racist fashion toward African Americans or Native Americans. I did not do that, do not have hateful feelings in my heart, and did not witness any of my classmates doing that.



I cannot speak for everyone, only for myself. But I can tell you my experience with Covington Catholic is that students are respectful of all races and cultures. We also support everyone’s right to free speech.



I am not going to comment on the words or account of Mr. Phillips, as I don’t know him and would not presume to know what is in his heart or mind. Nor am I going to comment further on the other protestors, as I don’t know their hearts or minds, either.I have read that Mr. Phillips is a veteran of the United States Marines. I thank him for his service and am grateful to anyone who puts on the uniform to defend our nation. If anyone has earned the right to speak freely, it is a U.S. Marine veteran.



I can only speak for myself and what I observed and felt at the time. But I would caution everyone passing judgement based on a few seconds of video to watch the longer video clips that are on the internet, as they show a much different story than is being portrayed by people with agendas.



I provided this account of events to the Diocese of Covington so they may know exactly what happened, and I stand ready and willing to cooperate with any investigation they are conducting.



This is the only statement that has been made by the Sandmann family. Any comments attributed to any member of the family that is not contained in this document are fabricated. The family will not be answering individual media inquiries.

BOMBSHELL: Native American Nathan Phillips Never Served In Vietnam, Was Not A 'Vietnam Veteran,' WashPo QUIETLY Admits https://t.co/yziEHGbeAc — Chris Menahan 🔹 (@infolibnews) January 22, 2019

Notice Nick is surrounded by Phillips people, not the other way around. A teenager is in the middle of adults with cameras and a drum in his face looking for a peaceful way out. #StandWithCovington pic.twitter.com/O08Vtyi1qZ — Rosie memos (@almostjingo) January 22, 2019

Phillips screams “relatives” then says “let’s make America great, let’s do that” angry Native American popes in “not like that (pointing to Covington) not with Trump, just because you stole the land doesn’t mean it’s yours” pic.twitter.com/95NNW5eYhm — Rosie memos (@almostjingo) January 22, 2019