NYT’s Reports On Book Alleglations
Vice President Kamala Harris finds herself in the middle of a plagiarism scandal surrounding her 2009 book Smart on Crime.
Critical Race Theory critic Christopher Rufo broke the story, supported by findings from Austrian plagiarism expert Dr. Stefan Weber, who is known for exposing similar instances among European politicians. Rufo claims that Harris "plagiarized at least a dozen sections" of the book, raising significant concerns about her integrity as she runs for president.
Conservative notices Kamala Harris plagiarism. Never change, NY Times. pic.twitter.com/B9Q6r4JcHi
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) October 14, 2024
The mainstream media’s reaction has been swift, though not necessarily focused on the core issue. The New York Times, for instance, seemed more interested in framing the story as a conservative talking point, rather than addressing the substance of the allegations. Predictably, they leaned into the typical “pouncing” narrative, where the reaction to the story becomes the story itself. Instead of diving deeply into Rufo’s claims, the Times trotted out an unnamed “plagiarism expert” who dismissed the allegations, giving readers the impression that there’s nothing to see here.
More baffling is the Times’ reliance on “some academics” to suggest that Rufo’s exposé is somehow racially motivated. Yet, in classic fashion, no actual academics or direct quotes were provided in the piece, leaving the reader wondering how seriously the paper itself even takes this line of defense.
Was the “plagiarism expert” Joe Biden? #Seizing pic.twitter.com/P61nGHUO81
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) October 14, 2024
Rufo’s reputation for exposing plagiarism is solid, especially given his role in bringing down former Harvard president Claudine Gay, who resigned in early 2024 following her own plagiarism scandal. In that case, Rufo’s revelations led to a significant academic fallout, suggesting that his current claims against Harris should be taken seriously. Furthermore, this isn’t the first time Harris has faced such accusations. She was previously criticized for allegedly plagiarizing a story from Martin Luther King Jr., adding another layer of doubt to her credibility.
The Trump campaign wasted no time in weighing in, using the scandal to underscore Harris’s perceived lack of transparency and honesty. With a history of questionable moments already in the public eye, this latest accusation might further undermine Harris’s campaign, especially if the mainstream media continues to downplay or sidestep the substance of the claims.
You. Have. To. Be. Kidding. Me.
“A plagiarism expert…”
She cut and pasted from friggin’ Wikipedia multiple times…
And Chris Rufo did the work *you* should have doing. pic.twitter.com/c9g739AJvo
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) October 14, 2024