CNN's Malveaux misstated when Cheney learned of Whittington's worsened condition

Written by Andrew Seifter

Published

CNN's Suzanne Malveaux falsely reported that Vice President Dick Cheney first learned of the worsened medical condition of Harry Whittington, the Texas attorney whom Cheney accidentally shot during a February 11 hunting expedition, “around 12:30 [p.m.]” on February 14. In fact, a statement released by Cheney's office that day indicated that Cheney had learned of the decline in Whittington's condition early that morning.


On the February 15 edition of CNN's American Morning, White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux misstated when Vice President Dick Cheney first learned of the worsened medical condition of Harry Whittington, the Texas attorney whom Cheney accidentally shot during a February 11 hunting expedition. Malveaux falsely reported that “Cheney was notified of Whittington's complications around 12:30 [p.m. ET]” on February 14, “when his chief of staff quietly passed him a note during a meeting on the Hill.” In fact, a statement released by Cheney's office that day indicated that Cheney learned of the decline in Whittington's condition early that morning but was apprised on Capitol Hill at 12:30 p.m. that Whittington's doctors would be holding a 1 p.m. press conference to discuss their patient's condition.

From Cheney's February 14 statement:

The vice president was told when he arrived at the White House this morning that doctors had decided, based on overnight monitoring, to perform a cardiac catheterization on Mr. Whittington.

The vice president's chief of staff passed him a note at about 12:30 p.m. EST to inform him that Mr. Whittington's doctors would brief in Texas about 1 p.m. EST on complications in Mr. Whittington's condition. The vice president was on Capitol Hill when he received this information.

The New York Times reported on February 15:

Mr. Cheney's aides said he first learned of the change in Mr. Whittington's condition when he arrived at his West Wing office about 7:40 a.m. Tuesday, shortly after doctors in Corpus Christi said that they had picked up an irregular heartbeat from Mr. Whittington on their morning rounds.

From the February 15 edition of CNN's American Morning:

MALVEAUX: Since Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot his hunting companion Saturday evening, he has remained silent, ducking into the White House and later away from our cameras on Capitol Hill. Word that his victim, Harry Whittington, suffered a mild heart attack produced the first official written statement from Cheney's office, acknowledging that the incident had even occurred.

Now, providing specifics, that Cheney was notified of Whittington's complications around 12:30, when his chief of staff quietly passed him a note during a meeting on the Hill. A half hour later, he was in the White House watching the doctors' televised press conference updating Whittington's condition.

Around 1:30, the vice president called Whittington to wish him well, asking if there was anything he needed. The vice president said that he stood ready to assist.