CBS News Apologizes After Confusing Rep. John Lewis with Elijah Cummings

Civil Rights icon Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) prepares to pay his respects to U.S. Rep.
Melina Mara-Pool/Getty Images
Amy Furr

The CBS Evening News has apologized after it confused Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) with the late Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) on air Monday.

The initial story was in regard to Lewis’s recent announcement of his Stage IV pancreatic cancer diagnosis. However, the news outlet mistakenly used a photo of Cummings, not Lewis, for its story.

In a tweet that afternoon, the outlet said it had fixed the mistake.

Despite the apology, Twitter users were quick to condemn the apparent mistake.

“Unnacceptable [sic] & racist! CBS once again proves they’re #FakeNews,” one person wrote.

“First you do this to @RepCummings and now to @repjohnlewis ? You must do better. Unacceptable. Let’s face it. You would never mix up two old white guys,” another user commented.

Monday, veteran and inspirational speaker Stephon Ferguson shared a photo of the story that mislabeled the photo of Cummings as Lewis.

“Can’t believe CBS News is showing a picture of the late U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings w/ Congressman John Lewis’ name as they talk about Rep. Lewis’ recent announcement. Get it right! @CBSNews,” he wrote.

Cummings passed away from “complications concerning longstanding health challenges” October 17, according to Breitbart News.

He was the first black American lawmaker to lie in state inside National Statuary Hall on Capitol Hill. The day of his death, President Trump ordered the flag to be flown at half-staff in his honor.

Sunday, Lewis said he will begin cancer treatments soon, adding that he had “never faced a fight quite like the one I have now.”

“I have decided to do what I know to do and do what I have always done: I am going to fight it and keep fighting for the Beloved Community. We still have many bridges to cross,” he concluded.

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