Journalists are accusing The New York Times of publishing a bogus hit piece on former Texas Gov. Rick Perry Wednesday, with some going so far as to say the report is a made up pile of “garbage.”

New York Times reporters David Sanger and Coral Davenport claim in the story that Perry didn’t know his position as energy secretary in the new administration would entail safeguarding the nuclear arsenal. Their report is based on one quote from a former Trump transition official — who has already told The Daily Caller his words were taken out of context — and ignores publicly available evidence refuting its claims.

“‘Learning Curve’ as Rick Perry pursues a Job he Initially Misunderstood,” the headline reads, asserting Perry initially “believed” he was taking on a role as ambassador for the oil and gas industry, only to learn later he would be in charge of the nuclear arsenal. The out-of-context quote the story is based on doesn’t appear until the fourth paragraph.

Perry explicitly mentioned “safeguarding the nuclear arsenal” in a statement accepting the nomination in December. “I look forward to engaging in a conversation about the development, stewardship and regulation of our energy resources, safeguarding our nuclear arsenal, and promoting an American energy policy that creates jobs and puts America first,” he said.

Journalists and writers quickly began ruthlessly pointing out the report’s flaws after it was published, even as others were quick to heap praise and kudos on the reporters.

“A media story in four acts,” T. Becket Adams with The Washington Examiner tweeted. “1. Clickbait headline 2. Shocking lede 3. Bury bland, on record quote cited in headline in 4th graph 4. Narrative!”

Adams also tweeted out a photo of Perry’s initial statement on the nomination for energy secretary, which explicitly mentions his role in safeguarding the nuclear arsenal. “You don’t need the Times’ source claiming his words were twisted to know the story is garbage,” he added in another tweet. “It’s evident after one reading.”

“Hell of a lede in that New York Times Rick Perry Story!” a senior writer for “The Daily Show” tweeted. “When are they going to run the article that actually goes along with it?”

Adams added: “Pretty cool that this bogus NYT report came out on the eve of Perry’s confirmation hearing. I’m sure that had nothing to do with the story.”

The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway went on a tweet storm regarding the story, and ended up compiling a list of recent examples of poor reporting that show “why no one trusts media coverage of Trump.”

“Speaking of stupid cheerleaders, many, many, many reporters fell for the NYT hit piece on Rick Perry,” she tweeted.

“I beg of each and every one of you: Please don’t be stupid,” she said in another tweet. “If you’re being stupid, stop being stupid. Thank you.”

Sanger and Davenport did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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