—UPDATED—

He deleted the tweet and claimed he ‘wasn’t clear’:

Hi everybody! I’m deleting a tweet so I can be super clear about tomorrow’s rally in Virginia. The Lobby Day protest is and has traditionally been a gun rights rally, but white nationalists, including militant group The Base, have been planning violent action at the event. — Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) January 19, 2020

But people still aren’t thrilled with him.

Calling it a "white nationalist rally" wasn't clear? A simple "I wrote a highly misleading and inflammatory tweet and I was wrong" would suffice, Ben. https://t.co/AI6AdssfMK — Mo Mo (@molratty) January 19, 2020

And then how about, ‘I’m sorry.’

——

This is repugnant.

Disgusting.

Abhorrent.

In other words, totally eff’d up.

NBC’s Ben Collins lecturing reporters attending the ‘white nationalist rally’ in Virginia about verifying information before sending it out could be one of the stupidest tweets on Twitter … ever. WE KNOW, we know, we feel like we’re setting people up to accept this challenge so maybe we should just say this tweet is really really really really really stupid.

Reporters covering tomorrow's white nationalist rally in Virginia, I'm absolutely begging you: Verify information before you send it out tomorrow, even if it's a very sensational rumor you heard from a cop. Don't become a hero in neo-Nazi propaganda circles with made-up stuff. — Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) January 19, 2020

Made-up stuff.

The irony.

Tomorrow isn't a "white nationalist rally" but you're here to tell those of us who will actually be covering it to be careful about accuracy? Are you joking? — Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) January 19, 2020

Sadly, Ben is all too serious.

Which tells you exactly how much of a joke the media really is.

Three alleged white supremacists mean the rally is a white nationalist rally?

K.

I'm well aware of this arrest. The rally is not organized by white nationalist and isn't in any way for white nationalists. You are lying to people while berating other reporters to be accurate. What is wrong with you? — Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) January 19, 2020

it’s not a white nationalist rally. You’re telling others not to spread fake news while doing it yourself. — Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) January 19, 2020

It's not a white nationalist rally. It's a pro-gun rights rally with the majority being good people. — Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) January 19, 2020

But that’s no fun!

Speaking of propaganda and made-up stuff, Lobby Day isn't a "white nationalist rally," but an annual event for Virginians to lobby lawmakers. Is this the type of coverage we should expect from @NBCNews? — Cam Edwards (@CamEdwards) January 19, 2020

Yes.

Yes, it is.

Calling this a “white nationalist rally” from the outset was kind of ridiculous. You can make your point that white nationalists have shown interest in it without irresponsibly trying to paint everyone going to a 2A rally as white nationalists. This doesn’t help. — Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) January 19, 2020

Of course, it doesn’t help.

The media want the rally to turn into another Charlottesville so they can screech about how Trump has created such a hateful, divided, and racist country. If they have to accept this is nothing more than a bunch of Virginians standing up in the face of an overreaching government they have to admit what Northam and Virginia Democrats are doing is not what the people want.

And we can’t have that, now can we?

You’re spreading propaganda. It’s a pro-2nd Amendment rally alone. To the extent “white nationalists” may show, they are Antifa plants or a handful of unwelcome provocateurs. But you know this. — Matt Barber (@jmattbarber) January 19, 2020

He does.

But he still doubled-down:

Since I have the honor of being retweeted by some people disputing the characterization of the rally in my mentions (many of whom are less polite than Stephen here), here's how this gun rally devolved into being co-opted by white nationalists.https://t.co/jZo2URm9h9 — Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) January 19, 2020

Here’s a bunch of crap articles from CNN …

Pass.

We despise white nationalists, we have been fighting them on this platform for three years now, there is no indication that this pro 2A rally tomorrow has anything to do with white nationalists, branding people who are not white nationalists as WN is a gift to white nationalists. https://t.co/mQDplWU8AP — Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) January 19, 2020

Would you refer to the Women's March as an "Antisemitic rally" because of the views of several of the actual organizers? — Drew McCoy (@_Drew_McCoy_) January 19, 2020

Oof.

Have you asked the governor of Virginia for comment? pic.twitter.com/yyxlGJ24BQ — Sam Valley (@SamValley) January 19, 2020

Thinking Ben should just delete the tweets and then his account.

#Jacka**

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