View source for 2019 Lincoln Memorial confrontation

{{Infobox event
| title                    = 
| image                    = 2019-01-18 Sandmann Phillips.jpg
| image_size               = 
| image_upright            = 
| image_alt                = 
| caption                  =A still of a viral video of a Covington Catholic High School student, and Nathan Phillips, a Native American activist
| native_name              = 
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| time                     = 
| duration                 = 
| date                     = January 18, 2019
| venue                    = 
| location                 = [[Lincoln Memorial]] stairs
| coordinates              = {{coord|38|53|21.4|N|77|3|0.5|W|region:US_type:event|display=inline,title}}
| also_known_as            = 
| type                     = 
| theme                    = 
| cause                    = 
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| budget                   = 
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| organisers               = 
| filmed_by                = 
| participants             =*Students of the [[Covington Catholic High School]] attending a [[pro-life]] [[March for Life (Washington, D.C.)|March for Life]] rally
*[[Nathan Phillips (activist)|Nathan Phillips]] and other [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] marchers attending the [[Indigenous Peoples March]]
*Members of the [[Black Hebrew Israelites]] who were [[street preacher|street preaching]] near the Lincoln Memorial
| outcome                  = 
| notes                    = 
}}
On January 18, 2019, a widely reported confrontation between groups of political demonstrators took place near the [[Lincoln Memorial]] in [[Washington, D.C.]]. The face-off between a teenager and an indigenous man was captured on several photos and viral videos, with media coverage revealing days later that initial media reactions had misrepresented or omitted critical details of the incident.<ref name="Vox_Beauchamp_20190123">{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/1/23/18192831/covington-catholic-maga-hat-native-american-nathan-phillips|title=The real politics behind the Covington Catholic controversy, explained|last1=Beauchamp|first1=Zach|date=2019-01-23|accessdate=24 January 2019|agency=Vox|quote=The Covington Catholic fight is American politics in microcosm.... Why is the Covington Catholic controversy still the nation's biggest story? It started simply enough. A short viral video shot on Friday shows a group of white teens, some wearing "Make America Great Again" hats, standing near a smaller group of Native Americans including an elder from the Omaha tribe named Nathan Phillips.  It's been four days since the initial incident, which had nothing like the policy significance of the still-ongoing shutdown fight. Still, it's the most divisive and talked-about issue in American public life right now. Why? The answer is that the Covington videos are kind of Rorschach test, showing each side seeing what it wants to in a way that's more revealing about their own worldviews than the actual incident...Why is the Covington Catholic controversy still the nation's biggest story? It started simply enough. A short viral video shot on Friday shows a group of white teens, some wearing "Make America Great Again" hats, standing near a smaller group of Native American demonstrator including an elder from the Omaha tribe named Nathan Phillips.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Grinberg |first1=Emanuella |title=A new video shows a different side of the encounter between a Native American elder and teens in MAGA hats |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/21/us/maga-hat-teens-native-american-second-video/index.html |accessdate=24 January 2019 |agency=CNN |date=2019-01-23 |quote=Kaya Taitano, who shot the viral video, said the teens were chanting "Build the wall" and "Trump 2020." Those chants were not audible in videos reviewed by CNN.}}</ref><ref name="HuffPost_Robins_20190122">{{cite news |last1=Robins-Early |first1=Nick |title=House Intelligence Committee Looking Into Tweet About Viral MAGA Hat Teen Video |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/maga-teen-video-house-intelligence-committee_us_5c47914be4b025aa26bdf2be |access-date=January 28, 2019 |agency=Huffington Post |date=January 22, 2019 |quote=The House Intelligence Committee has asked Twitter to provide more information about a viral video of jeering high school students in Make America Great Again hats surrounding a Native American man, a committee aide told HuffPost. The Twitter account @2020fight on Friday posted the minute-long video of Covington Catholic High School students and Omaha tribe elder Nathan Phillips, and was viewed over 2.5 million times in the days since.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Rush to judgement: Media quick to slam teens in viral video confrontation with Native American |url=https://video.foxnews.com/v/5991914004001/#sp=show-clips |accessdate=24 January 2019 |agency=Fox News |date=2019-01-21 |quote=Rush to judgement: Media quick to slam teens in ''viral video'' confrontation with Native American}}</ref> The interaction occurred in the late afternoon, after two rallies taking place that day at the National Mall had ended. The participants involved were [[Covington Catholic High School]] teenage students on an annual school trip to attend the [[pro-life]] [[March for Life (Washington, D.C.)|March for Life]] who were assembling to meet buses to take them home; Native American marchers attending the [[Indigenous Peoples March]]; and five [[Black Hebrew Israelites]], who taunted the students by shouting racist and homophobic slurs. One particular moment was captured in a screenshot published in numerous mass media outlets, showing one of the students, later identified as 16-year-old Nicholas Sandmann, staring at Native American activist [[Nathan Phillips (activist)|Nathan Phillips]], who had approached him, with what some reports characterized as a smirk on his face.

The short videos of the encounter that were uploaded to common [[social media]] platforms [[Instagram]], [[Twitter]], and [[YouTube]] received millions of views<ref name="WaPo_20190119" /> and were widely shared on mass media.  At first, the anger focused on the students and the school. The school and students were the subject of death threats.<ref name="NYT_20190123"/> As more videos were released, diverging views about what had really happened polarized Americans.<ref name="NY Times Fuller Picture" /> The incident was described by ''The New York Times'' as an "explosive convergence of race, religion and ideological beliefs"<ref name="NY Times Fuller Picture" /> and a ''[[Vox (website)|Vox]]'' editorial called it the "nation's biggest story".<ref name="Vox_Beauchamp_20190123" /> The incident generated cycles of outrage that continued a week after the event.<ref name="NYT_20190123"/>

==Incident==
[[File:LincolnMemorialAussen.JPG|alt=The stairs of the Lincoln Memorial, the site of the incident, pictured here in July 2004.|thumb|The stairs of the Lincoln Memorial, the site of the incident, pictured here in July 2004.]]
The incident, which ''The New York Times'' described as an "explosive political moment", took place in the late afternoon of January 18, 2019, on the Plaza of the [[Lincoln Memorial]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] at the conclusion of a day of rallies for two groups, [[Indigenous Peoples March]], and the [[March for Life (Washington, D.C.)|March for Life]].<ref name="NYT_20190123"/> The marches had represented entirely separate purposes: raising awareness of [[indigenous people]]s issues<ref name="davis1">{{cite web|url=http://sandhillsexpress.com/state-news/omaha-tribe-member-nathan-phillips-in-spotlight-in-face-of-taunting-teens/|title=Omaha Tribe member Nathan Phillips in spotlight in face of taunting teens|last=Davis|first=Alli|date=January 20, 2019|website=Sandhills Express|language=en-US|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=January 23, 2019}}</ref> and raising awareness of [[pro-life]] / [[abortion]] issues respectively. For about ten minutes,<ref>See New York Times article</ref> there was an overlap on the Plaza of a small group from the Indigenous Peoples March and a larger group of students from the all-male [[Covington Catholic High School]] in [[Park Hills, Kentucky]], who were gathering at their appointed meeting place at the steps of the Plaza to wait for their buses to return home. Before the students arrived, a group of five [[Black Hebrew Israelites]] stood in a row "shouting scripture from red books" and taunting passers-by.<ref name="NYT_20190123"/><ref name="davis1"/><ref name="bengal1">{{cite web|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/nathan-phillips-activist-song-peaceful-resistance-hope|title=The Power of Nathan Phillips's Song|last=Bengal|first=Rebecca|date=January 21, 2019|website=Vogue|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=January 23, 2019}}</ref><ref group="Notes">The ''March For Life'' also had a permit for [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]] demonstrations on the [[National Mall]] on that day. According to ''The Cut'', CovCath sends an annual delegation of its students to attend the anti-abortion March For Life in Washington.</ref><ref name="lockhart1">{{cite web | url = https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/1/22/18193352/black-hebrew-israelites-covington-catholic-phillips-maga | title = The Black Hebrew Israelites and their connection to the Covington controversy, explained | first = P.R. |last =Lockhart | date =January 22, 2019 | accessdate = January 24, 2019 | work = [[Vox (website)|Vox]] |quote=where one of their members was holding a faith-teaching ceremony to his other followers}}</ref> As the 15- and 16-year-old students began to arrive, the Hebrew Israelites began to taunt them directly,<ref name="NY Times Fuller Picture" /><ref name="CNN_Sidner_20190121" /><ref name="NYT_Mervosh_20190119"/><ref name="NY Times Fuller Picture" /><ref name="autogenerated1" /><ref name="CNN_Grinberg_20190121"/><ref name=":3"/><ref name="theguardian_Bekiempis_20190121"/><ref name="theatlantic_20190125"/> and shouted racially combative insults and slurs at them.<ref name="NY Times Fuller Picture" /><ref name="autogenerated1" /><ref name="CNN_Grinberg_20190121"/>
As more Covington students arrived, and in response to these taunts, the students performed [[school spirit]] sports chants, including their version of a [[Māori culture|Māori]] [[haka]].<ref name="CNN_Sidner_20190121"/><ref name="AP_Karoub_20190121">{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/90c35b0e3b1f41abbcb28eef7cf4bd9a|title=Teen in confrontation with Native American: I didn't provoke |last1=Karoub|first1=Jeff|date=January 21, 2019|agency=Associated Press|access-date=January 21, 2019|last2=Beam|first2=Adam}}</ref><ref group="Notes">A haka is a type of traditional ceremonial dance or challenge in [[Māori culture]]. They have been [[Haka in popular culture|adopted in popular culture]], often in sports.</ref><ref group="Notes">One of the Native Americans who was there for the March said that he felt [https://apnews.com/90c35b0e3b1f41abbcb28eef7cf4bd9a "the students were mocking the dance."]</ref>

According to a January 23 ''New York'' ''Times'' article,<ref name="NYT_20190123"/> Indigenous Peoples March participants said they had interpreted the "loud chanting" and the size of the group, as well as their MAGA apparel, as "aggressive and disruptive to their demonstration"<ref name="NYT_20190123"/> which had just concluded. [[Nathan Phillips (activist)|Nathan Phillips]], a member of the Omaha tribe who had participated in the March, listened to the chants for what he said was about ten minutes. He said he thought that there was a confrontation between the students and the street preachers that he believed had reached a "boiling point". He later said that he had intended to defuse what he perceived as escalating tension between the students and the preachers.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="standard_Tobin_20190120">{{cite web |first=Olivia |last=Tobin| title = Covington Catholic High School: Outrage as teens in MAGA hats 'mock' Native American Vietnam War veteran |work= [[London Evening Standard]]| access-date = January 21, 2019 |date=January 20, 2019| url = https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/outrage-as-teens-in-maga-hats-mock-native-american-demonstrator-a4044006.html}}</ref><ref group="Notes">According to ''CNN'', in his early press interviews, Phillips [https://www.cnn.com/cnn/2019/01/21/us/nathan-phillips-maga-teens-interview/index.html accused the Covington students of hate and racism]. According to ''The Detroit Free Press'', Phillips said, "They were in the process of attacking these four black individuals.... These young men were beastly and these old black individuals was their prey, and I stood in between them and so they needed their pounds of flesh and they were looking at me for that."</ref> According to [[CNN]]'s [[Sara Sidner]], two minutes after one of the students took off his shirt to lead the haka, the "drum beat of Phillips and another Native American drummer [was audible] in the video". They sang the [[AIM Song]], a [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] intertribal song.<ref name="CNN_Sidner_20190121"/><ref name=":0" /><ref name="indiancountrytoday_Schilling_20190119">{{cite web|url=https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/news/outrage-as-non-native-youth-wearing-maga-hats-taunt-and-disrespect-native-elder-jy7UVwdg8kK2uvT0L-JOig/|title=Outrage as non-Native youth wearing #MAGA hats taunt and disrespect Native elder|last=Schilling|first=Vincent|date=January 19, 2019|work=[[Indian Country Today]]|access-date=January 19, 2019}}</ref>

Phillips and a second Native American, both with ceremonial drums, walked towards the students grouped along the stairs. Sidner said that while some of the students danced to Phillips' drum beat and chanted along with him for awhile, they were not "enjoying each other's company".<ref name="CNN_Sidner_20190121"/> Soon, Phillips, was "encircled" by about 30 students, "many of them white and wearing apparel bearing the slogan of President Trump", red baseball hats with the phrase "[[Make America Great Again]]" (MAGA).<ref name="NY Times Fuller Picture"  /><ref name="Nelson_20190120" /> Phillips continued to beat his ceremonial drum and sing for nearly two minutes as a boy wearing the red MAGA hat chose not to retreat<ref name="NY Times Fuller Picture"/> with what some viewed as a smirk on his face.<ref name="NY Times Fuller Picture" /><ref name="autogenerated1" /><ref name="CNN_Grinberg_20190121">{{cite news| first = Emanuella |last=Grinberg |work=CNN|access-date=January 21, 2019 |date=January 21, 2019| url = https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/21/us/maga-hat-teens-native-american-second-video/index.html |title=A new video shows a different side of the encounter between a Native American elder and teens in MAGA hats}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-video-details-emerge-of-kentucky-high-school-students-viral-encounter-in-dc|title=New Video, Details Emerge of Kentucky Students' Encounter in D.C.|last=Albert|first=Victoria|date=January 21, 2019|work=The Daily Beast|access-date=January 23, 2019}}</ref> The student later explained that he smiled because he wanted Phillips to know "that I was not going to become angry, intimidated or be provoked into a larger confrontation."<ref name="autogenerated1" /> Within minutes of this encounter, an adult chaperone called the students to their buses which had arrived. The students quickly departed the area without further incident.

===Black Hebrew Israelites===
{{main|Black Hebrew Israelites}}

Earlier footage that was released did not include the presence of a group of five [[Black Hebrew Israelites]] on the Plaza near the Reflecting Pond, part of a [[One West Camp]] offshoot believing in the [[Israelite Church of God in Jesus Christ#The 12 tribes of Israel (Black Hebrew Israelite)|"12 tribes" doctrine]]. They stood in a row "shouting scripture from red books" and taunting passers-by.<ref name="NYT_20190123"/><ref name="davis1"/><ref name="bengal1"/><ref name="lockhart1"/> According to [[CNN]]'s [[Sara Sidner]] they were "taunting ... people of all colors, other black visitors, natives, and a Catholic priest" shortly after the end of the Indigenous Peoples March, and before the students arrived on the scene.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/22/us/viral-video-kentucky-students-toddler-hands-up/index.html|title=In four days, three viral videos showed us there's always more to the story|last=Grinberg|first=Emanuella|date=January 22, 2019|website=CNN|access-date=January 23, 2019}}</ref><ref name="CNN_Sidner_20190121">{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1901/20/cnr.03.html|title=Trump Proposes DACA Deal for His Border Wall Funding; Furloughed Worker Shares Impacts of Historic Shutdown; Rudy Giuliani Admits Trump and Cohen May Have Discussed Testimony; Immigration Laws; Oscars; CNN Heroes; Politics; Italy Elections; Second Amendment Rights; Reality TV; Entertainment|last=Sidner|first=Sara|date=January 21, 2019|website=CNN|access-date=January 21, 2019}}</ref><ref name="crossroadstoday_20190121">{{cite web|url=https://www.crossroadstoday.com/news/national-news/new-video-emerges-in-lincoln-memorial-encounter/984146697|title=New video emerges in Lincoln Memorial encounter|last=|first=|date=January 21, 2019|work=Crossroads Today|access-date=January 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190122044430/https://www.crossroadstoday.com/news/national-news/new-video-emerges-in-lincoln-memorial-encounter/984146697|archive-date=January 22, 2019|dead-url=yes|df=mdy-all}}</ref> As the students began to arrive to wait for their bus, the Israelites began to shout insults directly at them.<ref name="NY Times Fuller Picture">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/20/us/nathan-phillips-covington.html|title=Fuller Picture Emerges of Viral Video Between Native American Man and Catholic Students|last=Mervosh|first=Sarah|date=January 20, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 21, 2019|last2=Rueb|first2=Emily S.|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="CNN_Sidner_20190121" /><ref name="NYT_Mervosh_20190119">{{Cite news| issn = 0362-4331| last = Mervosh| first = Sarah| title = Boys in 'Make America Great Again' Hats Mob Native Elder at Indigenous Peoples March| work = The New York Times| access-date = January 19, 2019 |date=January 19, 2019| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/19/us/covington-catholic-high-school-nathan-phillips.html}}</ref>

According to witnesses and video subsequently appearing on social media, the Hebrew Israelite men shouted combative and racist slurs at the high school students as well as Native Americans.<ref name="NY Times Fuller Picture" /><ref name="autogenerated1" /><ref name="CNN_Grinberg_20190121"/> They called the students "a bunch of incest babies", future "[[school shooter]]s", and "dirty ass little [[Cracker (term)|cracker]]s", and said "you give [[Faggot (slang)|faggot]]s rights".<ref name=autogenerated1 /><ref name=":3">{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/picture-of-the-conflict-on-the-mall-comes-into-clearer-focus/2019/01/20/c078f092-1ceb-11e9-9145-3f74070bbdb9_story.html|title=Viral standoff between a tribal elder and a high schooler is more complicated than it first seemed|last=Miller|first=Michael E.|date=January 22, 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=January 23, 2019}}</ref><ref name="theguardian_Bekiempis_20190121">{{Cite news| issn = 0261-3077| last = Bekiempis| first = Victoria| title = New video sheds more light on students' confrontation with Native American| work = The Guardian|date=January 21, 2019|access-date=January 22, 2019| url = https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/21/new-video-confrontation-kentucky-students-native-american}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated3>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-21/native-american-surrounded-maga-trump-supporters-what-happened/10730988|title=Here's the missing context behind the video of students surrounding a Native American drummer|date=21 January 2019|website=ABC News|accessdate=5 February 2019}}</ref> Many students reacted by saying things such as "whoa" and "easy".<ref name=autogenerated3 /> The Hebrew Israelites also called a passing Black man who tried to disagree with them a "[[List of ethnic slurs#C|coon]]", told Indian activists that the word Indian means "savage", and said to a woman who had stopped to argue with them: "Where's your husband? Bring your husband. Let me speak to him."<ref name=":3" /><ref name="theatlantic_20190125">{{cite web| title = Letters: 'We All Need to Take Responsibility for Their Actions'| work = The Atlantic| url = https://www.theatlantic.com/letters/archive/2019/01/readers-respond-covington-catholic-and-nathan-phillips/581170/ |date=January 25, 2019| access-date = January 28, 2019}}</ref>

== Response ==
News media started covering the story on the evening of January 18, 2019, in response to the viral spread of initial videos posted to social media. Within days of their first coverage of the incident, many news media outlets had revisited their reports and revised the narrative, as more information became available. (January 21 was the [[Martin Luther King Jr. Day|annual commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday]]). This included longer videos which contextualized the incident, in-depth analyses and statements from spokesmen for the participants directly involved.<ref name="vox media 190122"/> The media were sharply criticized for basing their initial reporting on social media, particularly the user-generated short videos, that did not include the minutes before and after the incident.<ref name="vox media 190122"/> These new sources, which included interviews with participants, revealed the chronology of events, showing how the students had become excited by the taunts of the Hebrew Israelites before Phillips came on the scene.<ref name="CNN_Sidner_20190121"/>

Participants at the Indigenous Peoples March posted the first videos of the incident in the evening of Friday, January 18, 2019, following the events. These first videos were roughly only a minute long, when Phillips was drumming, closely encircled by a large group of excited students. They did not include the minutes before and after that contextualized the incident. As described by ''[[Vox (website)|Vox]]'', the short videos gave the impression "that the boys were harassing the Native American elder".<ref name="vox media 190122">{{cite web | url = https://www.vox.com/2019/1/22/18192908/covington-catholic-video-nick-sandmann-maga | title = How the story of a clash between a boy in a MAGA hat and a Native American elder unfolded | first = Emily | last =Stewart | date = January 22, 2019 | accessdate = January 22, 2019 | work = [[Vox (website)|Vox]] }}</ref> One of these was a one-minute clip posted by [[Guam]] resident Kaya Taitano, a student at the [[University of the District of Columbia]], who was with the small group of other participants at the Memorial late afternoon when the incident took place. She filmed the moment that ''CNN'' later described as "a smiling young man in a red Make America Great Again hat standing directly in front of the man, who was playing a drum and chanting. Other kids could be seen laughing, jumping around and seemingly making fun of the chants."<ref>David Williams and Emanuella Grinberg, [https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/19/us/teens-mock-native-elder-trnd/index.html 'Teen in confrontation with Native American elder says he was trying to defuse the situation'], ''CNN'' January 19, 2019, updated January 23, 2019.</ref> Taitano uploaded it to Instagram at 7:33&nbsp;p.m.,<ref name="CNN_Murphy_20190123">{{Cite news| title = How the video confrontation between Catholic students and a Native American elder blew up |first1=Paul P. |last1=Murphy |first2=Gianluca |last2=Mezzofiore|work= CNN| access-date = January 23, 2019 |date=January 23, 2019| url = https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/22/us/lincoln-memorial-rally-video-viral-trnd/index.html}}</ref><ref name="Brookbank_20190121" /> and her video was later reposted that day to Twitter via user "2020fight" under the title "This MAGA loser gleefully bothering a Native American protester at the Indigenous Peoples March"; it received over 2.5 million views by January 21.<ref name="CNN_Murphy_20190123"/><ref name="NBC_Zadrozny_20190124"/> The second video, posted to YouTube by KC Noland, reached two million viewers in two hours Saturday morning, January 19, and over four and a half million by January 24.<ref name="thehill_20190119" /><ref name="cincinnati_Londberg_20190119">{{cite web|url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2019/01/19/video-shows-apparent-incident-indigenous-peoples-march/2623820002/|title=School faces backlash after incident at Indigenous Peoples March|last=Londberg|first=Max|date=January 19, 2019|work=Cincinnati Enquirer|access-date=January 19, 2019}}</ref><ref name="wcpo_20190119">{{Cite news|url=https://www.wcpo.com/news/national/local-high-school-gaining-national-attention-for-incident-at-indigenous-peoples-march|title=Local high school 'looking into' incident at march in D.C.|last=McAuliffe|first=Zach|date=January 19, 2019|work=WCPO|access-date=January 19, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Noland_YouTube_20190118">{{Cite AV media |time=3:44 minutes| title = Indigenous Peoples March Washington, D.C. |via=YouTube |first=KC |last=Noland|date=January 18, 2019|access-date=January 21, 2019| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIG5ZB0fw1k}}</ref>

The first social media video clips were short and focused on this moment, leading to initial harsh criticism of the high school students, who some described as mocking and harassing the elder. Some people affiliated with the March described the boys as appearing threatening due to their numbers, actions, and the "[[Make America Great Again]]" caps and clothing that some wore.<ref name="NY Times Fuller Picture" /> By January 20, longer videos had been uploaded. Phillips clarified that it was he who had approached the crowd of students, in what he said was an attempt to defuse what Phillips perceived to be a brewing conflict between the students and a third group of five men who identified as Hebrew Israelites who had been taunting the white students with racist and homophobic slurs.<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web|url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/01/nathan-phillips-says-he-approached-maga-clad-teens-to-defuse-argument-with-black-protesters.html|title=Native American Elder Says He Approached MAGA-Clad Teens to Defuse Argument With Black Protesters|last=Politi|first=Daniel|date=January 20, 2019|website=Slate Magazine|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=January 20, 2019}}</ref>

Strong reactions to the event prompted an immediate backlash against the school, the students, and their chaperones. The ''Post'' described the incident as a "tense encounter" that "prompted outrage".<ref name="WaPo_20190119">{{cite web| title = 'It was getting ugly': Native American drummer on the MAGA-hat wearing teens who surrounded him |work= The Washington Post|date=January 19, 2019| access-date = January 19, 2019| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/it-was-getting-ugly-native-american-drummer-on-the-maga-hat-wearing-teens-who-surrounded-him/2019/01/19/41678d84-1c1b-11e9-8813-cb9dec761e73_story.html | last1 = Olivo |first1=Antonio |first2=Cleve R. |last2=Wootson Jr |first3= Joe |last3=Heim}}</ref> One of the featured speakers at the Indigenous Peoples March, [[Ruth Buffalo]], a [[North Dakota House of Representatives|North Dakota Representative]] and member of the [[Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation]],<ref name="nativenewsonline">{{Cite news| title = Photographs of Indigenous Peoples March in Washington, D.C. |work=Native News Online |editor-first=Levi |editor-last=Rickert|date=January 19, 2019| access-date = January 21, 2019| url = https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/photographs-of-indigenous-peoples-march-in-washington-d-c/ |first1=Mark |last1=Charles |first2=Darren |last2=Thompson }}</ref><ref name="NYT_20181113">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/13/us/politics/north-dakota-ruth-buffalo.html|title=Meet the Native American Woman Who Beat the Sponsor of North Dakota's ID Law|author=Astor, Maggie|periodical=New York Times|access-date=2018-11-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Spence|first=William L.|title=Governor candidate may still resign her legislative seat|url=http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/election/article200044799.html|newspaper=[[Idaho Statesman]]|date=February 14, 2018|access-date=March 9, 2018|language=en}}</ref> said the students' disrespect of what was meant to have been a "celebration of all cultures" saddened her. She added, "The behaviour shown in that video is just a snapshot of what Indigenous people have faced and are continuing to face."<ref name="CBC_20190119">{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/indigenous-march-student-mock-1.4985493|title=U.S. diocese investigating after students mock Indigenous demonstrator|date=January 18, 2019|work=CBC News|access-date=January 19, 2019}}</ref> Buffalo suggested "some kind of meeting with the students to provide education on issues facing Native Americans."<ref name="CBC_20190119" /> House Representative [[Deb Haaland]] wrote, "The students' display of blatant hate, disrespect, and intolerance is a signal of how common decency has decayed under this administration. Heartbreaking."<ref name="thehill_20190119">{{Cite news|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/426160-haaland-condemns-students-behavior-toward-native-elder-at|title=Haaland condemns students' behavior toward Native elder at Indigenous Peoples March|last=Gstalter|first=Morgan|date=January 18, 2019|work=The Hill|access-date=January 19, 2019}}</ref>  Actress Alyssa Milano wrote: “This is Trump’s America. And it brought me to tears. What are we teaching our young people? Why is this ok? How is this ok? Please help me understand. Because right now I feel like my heart is living outside of my body”.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Caitlin Flanagan |title=The Media Botched the Covington Catholic Story |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/01/media-must-learn-covington-catholic-story/581035/ |accessdate=8 April 2019 |work=[[The Atlantic]] |date=23 January 2019 |language=en |quote=dramatic professions of personal anguish meant to recenter the locus of harm from Phillips to the tweeter (“This is Trump’s America. And it brought me to tears. What are we teaching our young people? Why is this ok? How is this ok? Please help me understand. Because right now I feel like my heart is living outside of my body”: Alyssa Milano)}}</ref>

Over the next several days statements from a spokesperson for the March, an attorney for the [[Lakota People]]'s Law Project, from Nicholas Sandmann, and other officials, offered different perspectives on the incident. In the wake of the widespread sharing of more detailed video clips, media analyses of the videos, and statements, public opinion became polarized, with some saying the students were completely absolved of all wrongdoing and others saying the students were disrespectful of a Native American elder on a day that should have been a celebration of the first Indigenous Peoples March.<ref name="Native_Students">{{cite web |last1=Hughes |first1=Art |title=Wednesday, January 23, 2019 – Face-to-face with disrespect |url=http://www.nativeamericacalling.com/wednesday-january-23-2019-face-to-face-with-disrespect/ |website=Native America Calling |accessdate=11 March 2019 |date=23 January 2019}}</ref><ref name="NY Times Fuller Picture" />

=== Further coverage ===

[[File:2019-01-18 Phillips Sandmann.jpg|thumb|Still of a second video]]
Shortly after the event took place, the Covington Catholic communications director released a statement expressing regret that the event had happened.<ref name="cincinnati_Londberg_20190119" /> In a joint statement on January 19, the Diocese of Covington and the Covington Catholic High School extended apologies to Phillips, condemned the students' behavior, and said that after they reviewed the situation they would "take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion."<ref name="USA_Today_20190119">{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/19/kentucky-diocese-incident-indigenous-peoples-march-covington-catholic-high-school/2624503002/|title='Blatant racism': Ky. high school faces backlash after video shows students surrounding indigenous marchers|last=Londberg|first=Max|date=January 18, 2019|work=USA Today|access-date=January 19, 2019|quote="We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general, Jan. 18, after the March for Life, in Washington, D.C. We extend our deepest apologies to Mr. Phillips. This behavior is opposed to the Church's teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person."}}</ref>

However, in a subsequent letter on January 25, 2019, the bishop of the Covington Diocese subsequently apologized to Sandmann, saying they "should not have allowed ourselves to be bullied and pressured into making a statement prematurely".<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bishop-apologizes-teen-who-faced-native-american-n963056 Bishop apologizes to teen who faced off with Native American], NBC News, 26 January 2018</ref>

According to ''[[The New York Times]]'', death threats had been reported by some of the Covington students' families and the school was closed for a day due to threats of violence."<ref name="NYT_20190123"/>

On January 20, ''The New York Times'' described the encounter as an "explosive convergence of race, religion and ideological beliefs—against a national backdrop of political tension... [It] became the latest touch point for racial and political tensions in America, with diverging views about what really had happened."<ref name="NY Times Fuller Picture" /> A [[vox.com|Vox]] editorial called it the "nation's biggest story" and "American politics in [[Macrocosm and microcosm|microcosm]]" based on the competing interpretations, "[[identity politics|identity-focused politics]]," and intractable back and forth between left-leaning and right-leaning media organizations "despite the inherent uncertainty in the footage itself."<ref name="Vox_Beauchamp_20190123" />

As the backlash intensified, the parents of Covington High School junior Nicholas Sandmann, the one CNN described as "smiling young man in a red Make America Great Again hat," retained the services of Louisville-based RunSwitch Public Relations, a company that specializes in [[crisis management]].<ref group="Notes">According to Grace Schnieder's January 21, 2019 article in the ''[[The Courier-Journal]]'', RunSwitch Public Relations, Kentucky's largest public relations and public affairs company, which "specializes in crisis management", confirmed that the Sandmann family, the parents of Nick Sandmann, the one CNN described as "smiling young man in a red Make America Great Again hat." the young man in the first video had retained their services. RunSwitch partners Steve Bryant and Gary Gerdemann, are ensuring that the "recounting" of events of this "national media story", is accurate. Schnieder wrote that Scott Jennings, who is a "conservative political commentator and a columnist for the ''Courier Journal'', is the third partner in RunSwitch."</ref> They released a January 21 statement on behalf of Sandmann, in which he said misinformation and "outright lies" were being spread about the incident.<ref name="BBC_20190121" /> According to him, the situation began when a group of African-American protesters directed insults at the students, and the students responded with school spirit chants. Sandmann said that he was confused when Phillips and other Native Americans subsequently approached him and the other students, and that he tried to remain calm to avoid trouble. He said he "did not witness or hear any students chant 'build that wall' or anything hateful or racist at any time."<ref name=":0">{{cite news |first=Alex |last=Johnson |date=January 21, 2019|access-date=January 21, 2019 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/young-man-d-c-march-video-denounces-outright-lies-about-n960801 |title=Young man in D.C. march video denounces 'outright lies' about him |work=NBC News}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name="CNN_Sandmann_20190121">{{cite news| title = Statement of Nick Sandmann, Covington Catholic High School junior, regarding incident at the Lincoln Memorial |work=CNN| url = https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/20/us/covington-kentucky-student-statement/index.html | access-date = January 21, 2019 |date=January 20, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190308045918/https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/20/us/covington-kentucky-student-statement/index.html |archive-date= March 8, 2019}}</ref>

Taitano said she also heard the students chant [[Build the Wall|"build that wall"]] and "Trump 2020", but such chants were not audible in videos reviewed by CNN.<ref name="CNN_Grinberg_20190121" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/picture-of-the-conflict-on-the-mall-comes-into-clearer-focus/2019/01/20/c078f092-1ceb-11e9-9145-3f74070bbdb9_story.html|title=A tribal elder and a high school junior stood face to face, and the world reacted|last=Miller|first=Michael E.|date=January 21, 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=January 21, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Mashable_Gallucci_20190118" /> The January 21 PR statement denied that the students chanted "Build the wall".<ref name=":0" /><ref name="courier-journal_Schneider_20190121">{{Cite news |first=Grace |last=Schneider |location=Louisville | title = Louisville PR firm played a key role in Covington Catholic controversy| work = The Courier-Journal| access-date = January 22, 2019 |date=January 21, 2019| url = https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2019/01/21/covington-catholic-runswitch-pr-helped-student-in-controversial-video/2638400002/}}</ref><ref name="BBC_20190121">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46943364|title=US teen denies mocking Native American|last=|first=|date=January 21, 2019|work=BBC News|access-date=January 21, 2019}}</ref><ref name="CNN_Sandmann_20190121" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Brookbank |first1=Sarah |title=Analysis: What the video from the incident at the Indigenous Peoples March tell us about what happened |url=https://eu.cincinnati.com/story/news/2019/01/20/analyzing-video-incident-indigenous-peoples-march/2631412002/ |accessdate=21 January 2019 |work=The Cincinnati Enquirer |date=20 January 2019}}</ref> Phillips said that he had heard the students chanting "build that wall" which was one of the principal concerns of the Indigenous Peoples March.<ref name="nativenewsonline"/><ref name="thecut_Ryan_20190119">{{cite web| last = Ryan| first = Lisa| title = Mob of MAGA Hat-Wearing Teen Boys Caught on Video Harassing Native Elder| work = The Cut|date=January 18, 2019| access-date = January 19, 2019| url = https://www.thecut.com/2019/01/maga-teens-indigenous-peoples-march-harassment-video.html |quote=The Cut quoted an Instagram post, "As we tried to move through the crowd, they closed in tighter around us, and wouldn't allow anyone to pass. It was obvious that they wanted any excuse for the day to turn violent. They repeatedly 'bumped' into us, trying to agitate people into confrontation. But instead, the very few of us left stood quietly, trying to remain calm. I was seething with anger and rage and disappointment. I was so confused about why these boys would go out of their way to harass such a small, vulnerable group."}}</ref> In a brief interview on Twitter, he said "This is Indigenous Land you know, we're not supposed to have walls here. We never did for millenniums before anybody else came here we never had walls. We never had a prison. We always took care of our elders and took care of our children. We always provided for them, we taught them right from wrong. I wish I could see that energy in that young mass of young men down there. To put that energy into making this country really great — helping those that are hungry..."<ref name="Mashable_Gallucci_20190118">{{cite web| last = Gallucci| first = Nicole| title = Teens in MAGA hats sparked outrage after crashing the Indigenous Peoples March| work = Mashable|date=January 18, 2019| access-date = January 19, 2019| url = https://mashable.com/article/teen-boys-maga-hats-crash-indifenous-people-march/}}</ref> Some others affiliated with the March described the group of boys surrounding Phillips as appearing threatening due to their numbers, actions, and "Make America Great Again" attire.<ref name="NY Times Fuller Picture" />

[[Alison Lundergan Grimes]], Secretary of State of Kentucky, described the scene as "horrific" and said the students' actions did not reflect Kentucky's values. She wrote, "I refuse to shame these children. Instead I turn to the adults that are teaching them and those that are silently letting others promote this behavior. This is not the Kentucky I know and love. We can do better and it starts with better leadership."<ref name="Time_Martinez_20190119">{{Cite magazine |first=Gina |last=Martinez | title = Kentucky Teens Wearing 'MAGA' Hats Taunt Indigenous Peoples March Participants in Viral Video| work = Time|date=January 19, 2019| access-date = January 19, 2019| url = http://time.com/5507911/kentucky-teens-maga-indigenous-peoples-march-viral-video/}}</ref>

''[[The Washington Post]]'' described the Indigenous Peoples March as "meaningful", and an example of how Native Americans will not be silenced.<ref name="WaPo_20190118">{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/we-will-not-be-silenced-a-meaningful-march-days-after-trump-joked-about-a-native-american-massacre/2019/01/18/f7d93bdc-1b79-11e9-88fe-f9f77a3bcb6c_story.html|title=A meaningful march days after Trump joked about a Native American massacre|last=Vargas|first=Theresa|date=January 18, 2019|work=The Washington Post|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=January 19, 2019}}</ref> The article drew attention to [[President Donald Trump|Donald Trump]]'s joking about the [[Wounded Knee Massacre]] to mock the [[Seniority in the United States Senate|senior]] [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Massachusetts]], [[Elizabeth Warren]].<ref name="NYT20190114">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/us/politics/wounded-knee-trump-warren.html|title=Trump's Use of Wounded Knee to Mock Elizabeth Warren Angers Native Americans|last=Caron|first=Christina|date=January 14, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 19, 2019}}</ref><ref name="theatlantic_Beinart_201901">{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/01/elizabeth-warren-unpopular-it-depends-who-you-ask/579247/|title=There's a Reason Many Voters Have Negative Views of Warren—But the Press Won't Tell You Why|last=Beinart|first=Peter|date=January 2, 2019|work=[[The Atlantic]]|accessdate=January 3, 2019 | quote = The better explanation for why Warren attracts disproportionate conservative criticism, and has disproportionately high disapproval ratings, has nothing to do with her progressive economic views or her dalliance with DNA testing. It's that she's a woman.}}</ref><ref group="Notes">Warren has often been criticized for her claim of [https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/01/elizabeth-warren-unpopular-it-depends-who-you-ask/579247/ Native American ancestry]. See Beinart's article in ''[[The Atlantic]]''.</ref>

[[Vulture.com|Vulture]] writer Erik Abriss, who tweeted that he wanted the Covington students and their parents to die, was fired from his second job at INE Entertainment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/vulture-writer-on-covington-students-i-just-want-these-people-to-die-simple-as-that/|title=Vulture Writer Who Wished Death on Covington Students Fired From Job at INE Entertainment|last=Levine|first=John|date=January 21, 2019|website=The Wrap|access-date=January 23, 2019}}</ref> Film producer Jack Morrissey, who had suggested the "MAGAkids go screaming, hats first, into the woodchipper," later apologized for his "fast, profoundly stupid tweet".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/film-producer-jack-morrissey-apologizes-for-deleted-covington-woodchipper-tweet/|title=Film Producer Jack Morrissey Apologizes for Deleted Covington 'Woodchipper' Tweet|last=Hod|first=Itay|last2=Levine|first2=Jon|date=January 21, 2019|website=The Wrap|access-date=January 21, 2019}}</ref>

CNN analyst [[Bakari Sellers]] tweeted, "some [people] can also be punched in the face".<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/us/glenn-greenwald-calls-rush-to-judgment-about-kentucky-student-in-viral-confrontation-with-native-american-trial-by-twitter-mob Glenn Greenwald slams rush to judgment about Kentucky student in viral confrontation with Native American], Fox News, January 22, 2019</ref>

[[Wheeler Walker Jr.]], an [[alter-ego]] of comedian [[Ben Hoffman]], tweeted "If you know this little shit, punch him in the nuts and send me the video of it and I'll send you all my albums on vinyl, autographed."<ref>[https://popculture.com/country-music/2019/01/21/wheeler-walker-jr-under-fire-inciting-violence-against-kentucky-teen-viral-video/ Comedic Country Singer Wheeler Walker Jr. Under Fire for Inciting Violence Against Kentucky Teen in Viral Video], popculture.com, January 21, 2019</ref>

=== Following full video release ===
A longer hour-and-a-half-long video was made public on Sunday, January 20.<ref name="Réactionnaire_YouTube_20190120">{{Cite AV media|publisher = Réactionnaire Médiatique |title = Full 1h30 Video:  Covington Catholic Students MAGA Hat kids vs Nathan Phillips|date=January 20, 2019|access-date=January 24, 2019| time = 6379 seconds (1 hr 46 minutes)| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-pFMZaw5f0&t=504s}}</ref> The longer video revealed more information about the incident, including the five Hebrew Israelites and their taunting of the students.<ref group="Notes">The one-hour forty-six-minute YouTube video, published by Réactionnaire Médiatique on January 20, began with the five five Black Hebrew Israelites at the Memorial loudly preaching while a few people watched. Several Native Americans attempted to calmly engage with them in conversations. Students began to arrive in the background with a small group of them wearing MAGA hats. There was a vendor nearby and they had just purchased them. At 1:08 minutes the preacher turns to a larger group of students assembling on the stairs and begins to taunt them and then boo him. They begin their school sports chants at this time. By 1:09 dozens of students are jumping up and down roaring in excitement, while one young man pulls off his shirt to lead them in their ''haka''. The black preacher taunts them again as the students formed a huddle in a group looking away from the preacher. At 1:11:53 the American Native drumming can be heard and one minute later Phillips and the second drummer walk slowly in front of the preacher. Phillips pauses in front of the students who are excitedly jumping up an down to the beat. The African American narrator can be heard saying that our elder has come to the rescue. At 1:13 Phillips has stopped walking but continues chanting and drumming. The stairs are full of students looking in his direction. Gradually the crowd filled in around Phillips in front of the African American narrator who says that it was "serious mockery" at a "Native rally with a Make America Great Again hat". The drumming goes quiet. The preacher continues to insult the students who remain at a distance. Their chaperone calls for the students to pack it up at 1:16 and they begin to leave.</ref> ''The New York Times'' January 22 compilation shows that the whole interaction only lasted ten minutes.<ref name="NYT_20190123">{{Cite news| issn = 0362-4331| last = Times| first = The New York| title = Videos Show a Collision of 3 Groups That Spawned a Fiery Political Moment| work = The New York Times| accessdate = January 28, 2019| date = January 23, 2019| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/22/us/covington-catholic-washington-videos.html}}</ref>

In the wake of the publication of the longer video, ''[[CNN Business]]'' reporter Donie O'Sullivan described 2020fight's video as the one that "helped frame the news cycle" of the previous days, and characterized the video as a "deliberate attempt" to mislead and "manipulate the public conversation on Twitter"—a violation of Twitter rules.<ref name="CNN_O'Sullivan_20190122"/> According to Molly McKew, an [[information warfare]] researcher, the tweet had been boosted by a network of anonymous Twitter accounts to amplify the story.<ref name="CNN_O'Sullivan_20190122">{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/21/tech/twitter-suspends-account-native-american-maga-teens/index.html|title=Twitter suspends account that helped ignite controversy over viral encounter|last1=O'Sullivan|first1=Donie|date=January 22, 2019|access-date=January 22, 2019|publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref name="CNN_Murphy_20190123"/><ref name="NBC_Zadrozny_20190124">{{Cite news| title = Twitter account that amplified Covington Catholic D.C. march video appears linked to California teacher| work = NBC News|date=January 23, 2019|access-date=January 24, 2019| url = https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/twitter-account-amplified-covington-catholic-d-c-march-video-appears-n961981 |first=Brandy |last=Zadrozny}}</ref><ref group="Notes">The 2020fight Twitter account that reposted Taitano's original video @2020fight was at first considered to be suspicious. According to O'Sullivan's CNN article, Rob McDonagh from [[Storyful]], a company under contract with CNN that monitors and verifies social media content, had reviewed @2020fight's account history, and found it suspicious: it has a "high follower count", a "highly polarized and yet inconsistent political messaging", an "unusually high rate of tweets", and used "someone else's image in the profile photo". At that time CNN reported this to Twitter as they had not been able to reach the account holder. She was later identified as a California school teacher. According to the NBC January 23 article, Twitter had briefly suspended the account based on CNN's report until the account owner's identity was verified. The account owner then deleted the account.</ref>

The newly-revealed information of the whole incident shown through the longer videos created confusion in the ongoing reporting: while some still believed the students were partially responsible for poor attitudes, others felt that the students had been maligned by the initial coverage and that several other actors in the event were to blame for the net result.<ref name="vox media 190122"/>

The organizers of the [[March for Life (Washington, D.C.)|March for Life]] initially released a statement criticizing the students' "reprehensible" behavior. But the organizers rescinded the statement on January 20, saying "It is clear from new footage and additional accounts that there is more to this story than the original video captured."<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite tweet|number=1087179995414519810|user=March_for_Life|title=It is clear from new footage and additional accounts that there is more to this story than the original video captured.  We will refrain from commenting further until the truth is understood. (2/2)|author=March for Life|date=January 20, 2019}}</ref>

[[Chase Iron Eyes]], a spokesperson for the March and an attorney for the Lakota People's Law Project who witnessed the incident, said that "Conservative people are fearful now—with the election to [C]ongress of our first two Native American women, [[Deb Haaland]] and [[Sharice Davids]], and so many other powerful women... But yesterday the world saw, whether it was live media or social media, the fight ahead of us can be won—if we are united."<ref name="Brookbank_20190121">{{Cite news| title = Video shot by Guam resident at Indigenous Peoples March: What we know|date=January 21, 2019|access-date=January 21, 2019| url = https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2019/01/22/video-shot-guam-resident-indigenous-peoples-march-what-we-know/2640428002/ |last1=Brookbank |first1=Sarah |first2=Max |last2=Londberg | work = Pacific Daily News via Cincinnati Enquirer}}</ref><ref name="Nelson_20190120">{{cite web| series = Press Statements |title=Marchers for Life Harass Indigenous Elder at Indigenous Peoples March|access-date=January 21, 2019 |date=January 20, 2019| url = https://static1.squarespace.com/enwiki/static/5bfdc0b7f8370a8e793b00a0/t/5c4399decd83663a094c881e/1547934176065/Press+-+Indigenous+Peoples+Movement+-+1%3A19%3A19.pdf |format=PDF |work=Lakota People's Law Project |first=Daniel Paul |last=Nelson}}</ref> Another march organizer, Nathalie Farfan, said, "The good news is, that connection to the sacred may have resonated with some of the Catholic youths. What is not being shown on [the KC Noland February 18 video <!--January 18?-->] is that the same youth and a few others became emotional because of the power, resilience and love we inherently carry in our DNA. Our day on those steps ended with a round dance, while we chanted, 'We are still here.'"<ref name="Nelson_20190120"/>

On January 21, ''The New York Times'' report from Covington said that the local community had focused its energy on "absolving the students of any wrongdoing" in the incident, having begun "to see itself as facing a politically motivated siege".<ref name="NYT_Dias_20190121">{{Cite news |first= Elizabeth |last=Dias| title = After Viral Video, Families of Covington Are Swiftly Circling to Protect Their Boys |work= The New York Times|access-date=January 22, 2019 |date= January 21, 2019| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/21/us/viral-video-covington-kentucky.html |location=Covington, Kentucky }}</ref>

Kentucky Representative [[Thomas Massie]] wrote that after watching videos from four different cameras he believed the media had misrepresented the incident, and that "In the context of everything that was going on (which the media hasn't shown) the parents and mentors of these boys should be proud, not ashamed, of their kids' behavior."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/426264-massie-claims-media-misrepresented-covington-catholic-incident|title=Massie claims media misrepresented Covington Catholic incident]|last=Birnbaum|first=Emily|date=January 20, 2019|newspaper=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=January 23, 2019}}</ref>

The [[House Intelligence Committee]] on January 22 asked [[Twitter]] to provide information on the reason why the first video went viral.<ref>Kate Conger and Sheera Frenkel, [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/23/technology/covington-video-protester-congress.html 'Who Posted Viral Video of Covington Students and Protester? Congress Wants to Know'], ''[[The New York Times]]'' January 23, 2019.</ref>

On January 22, shortly after tweeting it, [[Kathy Griffin]] deleted a Twitter message in which she accused Covington basketball players making a [[Three-point field goal|3-pointer]] sign of "throwing up the new nazi sign".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jan/22/kathy-griffin-deletes-nazi-sign-smear-from-stream-/|title=Kathy Griffin deletes 'Nazi sign' smear from stream of Covington Catholic tweets|last=Ernst|first=Douglas|date=January 22, 2019|website=The Washington Times|access-date=January 23, 2019}}</ref> The same day [[Jim Carrey]] tweeted an art work labeling the Covington students as "baby snakes".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aol.com/article/entertainment/2019/01/22/jim-carrey-labels-covington-catholic-students-as-baby-snakes-in-new-artwork/23650004/|title=Jim Carrey labels Covington students as 'baby snakes'|last=Kline|first=Jennifer|date=January 22, 2019|website=AOL|access-date=January 23, 2019}}</ref> In a January 22 tweet, President Trump said the Covington students "have become symbols of [[Fake news|Fake News]] and how evil it can be."<ref name="WaPo_StanleyBecker_20190122">{{cite news |first1=Isaac |last1=Stanley-Becker |first2=Kristine |last2=Phillips 
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190124164511/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/01/22/trump-slams-media-over-portrayal-confrontation-between-catholic-students-tribal-elder/ |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/01/22/trump-slams-media-over-portrayal-confrontation-between-catholic-students-tribal-elder|title='Trump slams media over portrayal of confrontation between Catholic students and tribal elder |work=The Washington Post |date=January 22, 2019 |access-date=January 28, 2019 |archive-date=January 22, 2019 |quote=In a January 22 tweet, President Trump said the Covington students "have become symbols of Fake News and how evil it can be."}}</ref>

After several conflicting media interviews were given by Nathan Phillips, [[NBC]]'s Savannah Guthrie interviewed Covington High School junior Nicholas Sandmann, airing on the Today Show on the morning of January 23. While Sandmann did not feel a need to apologize for his actions, he expressed respect for Phillips and a desire to talk to him. In hindsight, he wished that he had simply walked away.<ref>Janelle Griffith, [https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/covington-catholic-student-d-c-march-video-says-he-wishes-n961486 'Covington Catholic student in D.C. march video says he wishes had 'avoided the whole thing'<nowiki>'</nowiki>], ''[[NBCNews.com]]'' January 23, 2019.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8ZhDGaQMS4 |title=Nick Sandmann Speaks Out On Viral Encounter With Nathan Phillips &#124; TODAY |via=YouTube |date=2019-01-23 |accessdate=2019-02-02}}</ref> In his interview with ''NBC'', Phillips said that while "Sandmann owes many people an apology", as he continues to believe the "students were 'mocking' Native Americans, and Sandmann 'was the leader of that'", he forgives those involved.<ref name="NBC_Fieldstadt_20190124">{{cite web| title = Native American activist in D.C. standoff says he has 'forgiveness in my heart'| work = NBC News|date=January 24, 2019|access-date=January 24, 2019| url = https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nathan-phillips-native-american-activist-d-c-standoff-forgives-catholic-n962131 |first=Elisha |last=Fieldstadt}}</ref> Phillips also acknowledged that both of them had received death threats since the incident.<ref name="NBC_Fieldstadt_20190124"/><ref group="Notes">In the Fieldstadt January 24 interview, Phillips "clarified ...that he was a Marines reservist during the Vietnam War, but didn't serve in Vietnam. Some reports have said he served overseas in the war."</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-9-qmN0Hmw |title=Native American Elder Nathan Phillips On Confrontation: 'I Forgive Him' &#124; TODAY |via=YouTube |date=2019-01-24 |accessdate=2019-02-02}}</ref> Guthrie was criticized for giving Sandmann a national platform and for asking Sandmann if he should apologize to Phillips.<ref>Joe Concha, [https://thehill.com/homenews/media/426568-nbcs-guthrie-slammed-by-left-right-over-interview-with-covington-student 'NBC's Guthrie slammed by left, right over interview with Covington student Sandmann'], ''The Hill'' January 23, 2019.</ref>

On January 23, CNN's [[Kirsten Powers]] deleted her Twitter app after she was criticized and, in her own words, "harassed" on [[Twitter]] after stating a day prior that "watching all the videos (which I did) does not change the fundamental problem: the boys disrespecting an Indigenous elder."<ref>Joe Concha, [https://thehill.com/homenews/media/426685-cnns-powers-deletes-twitter-app-after-harassment-claim-over-covington 'CNN's Powers deletes Twitter app after harassment claim over Covington criticism'], ''[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]'' January 23, 2019.</ref> The same day, [[White House Press Secretary]] [[Sarah Huckabee Sanders]] was "slammed" for her statement that, referring to Sandmann, she had "never seen people so happy to destroy a kid's life".<ref name="WaPo_Chiu_20190124">{{cite news |first=Allyson |last=Chiu |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/01/24/your-administration-tore-babies-their-parents-critics-slam-sarah-sanders-covington-comments |title='Your administration tore babies from their parents': Critics slam Sarah Sanders for Covington comments'|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date= January 24, 2019 |access-date=January 28, 2019 }}</ref>

On January 24, ''[[Essence (magazine)|Essence]]'' published an article by [[Michael Arceneaux]] in which he wrote that if Sandmann would have been black, "he would have been harmed if not flat out killed".<ref>Michael Arceneaux, [https://www.essence.com/news/covington-students-treatment-if-they-were-black/ 'We All Know How The Covington Students Would Be Treated If They Were Young Black Men'], ''Essence'' January 24, 2019.</ref><ref>Eddie Scarry, [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/if-nick-sandmann-were-black-his-life-would-be-a-lot-easier-right-now 'If Nick Sandmann were black, his life would be a lot easier right now'], ''[[Washington Examiner]]'' January 24, 2019.</ref>

== Analysis of media coverage ==
The news media has been criticized for how it covered the incident, specifically for their initial reporting of the story based on various social media posts without fully investigating what occurred and subsequently fueling controversy and outrage over the incident.<ref>Robby Soave, [https://reason.com/blog/2019/01/20/covington-catholic-nathan-phillips-video 'The Media Wildly Mischaracterized That Video of Covington Catholic Students Confronting a Native American Veteran'], ''[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]'' January 20, 2019.</ref><ref name="vox media 190122"/><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/01/media-must-learn-covington-catholic-story/581035/ | title = The Media Botched the Covington Catholic Story | first=  Caitlin | last =  Flanagan | date = January 23, 2019 | accessdate = January 24, 2019 | work = [[The Atlantic]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/01/twitter-mob-covington-catholic-students-controversy/ | title = Fear, Loathing, and the Twitter Insta-Mob | first=  Heather | last= Wilhelm | date = January 24, 2019 | accessdate = January 24, 2019 | work = [[National Review]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/426597-in-covington-students-controversy-media-forgets-to-get-it-first-but | title = In Covington students' controversy, media forgets to 'get it first — but first, get it right' | first=  Joe | last = Concha | date = January 23, 2019 | accessdate = January 24, 2019 | work = [[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]}}</ref> [[Senate Majority Leader]] [[Mitch McConnell]] addressed the issue in US Senate on January 23, 2019: "When the rush for headlines takes precedence over the facts, mistakes are made and our rights as Americans are put at risk. This trend is particularly troubling when young people are involved."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWqIozhVbBg Video on YouTube].</ref><ref>[https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/cnsnewscom-staff/mcconnell-covington-these-kids-met-hatred-people-who-had-no-idea-what "McConnell on Covington: 'These Kids…Met With…Hatred from People Who…Had No Idea What Had Taken Place'"], ''[[CNSNews.com]]'' January 23, 2019.</ref>

== Post-incident actions ==
=== National shrine protest ===
On January 20, 2019, Nathan Phillips, along with "several dozen" others, attempted to enter the [[Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception]] during [[Mass in the Catholic Church|Mass]] in an effort to disrupt it, but were prohibited from entering "due to the disruption it would have caused during the solemn Mass" and because "they did not intend to share in the celebration of Mass."<ref name="FOX News">{{cite web |last1=Casiano |first1=Louis |title=National Shrine confirms report that Native American activist allegedly tried to disrupt Mass |url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/national-shrine-says-nathan-phillips-allegedly-tried-to-disrupt-mass |website=FOX News |publisher=FOX |accessdate=30 March 2019 |language=en |date=24 January 2019}}</ref>

Outside of the basilica, Phillips, referred to by the protesters as "Uncle Nate", read a list of the "demands of the indigenous folks" to the entirety of the [[Catholic Church]]. He demanded "the Catholic Church hold themselves responsible for the hundred-plus years of genocide that our indigenous people have endured and still persist through" by providing "[[Reparations (transitional justice)|reparations]] of land" and that it "revoke the [[papal bull]]s related to the [[Discovery doctrine|doctrine of discovery]], which laid the foundation for [[Religious intolerance|religious prejudice]] and the dehumanization of indigenous peoples." He also demanded that the students be "reprimanded" by their school and the universities that they will attend.

After Phillips spoke, another protester claimed that they "showed the Catholic Church how to respect prayer [and] how to respect ceremony." Saying that "it's not even their land and we still helped them respect and we still showed respect as indigenous peoples."<ref name="YouTube">{{cite web |title=Nathan Phillips Is At It Again! |url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=V_JePgeYzVE |website=YouTube |publisher=Google |accessdate=30 March 2019 |language=en |date=23 January 2019}}</ref>

After being told to leave the property by police, the protesters gathered across the street.<ref name="FOX News"/> While leaving the property, the woman filming the video said that "whether it be at a Catholic church" or a "Catholic school," they're "still going to come on this property [because] it's all ours anyway."<ref name="YouTube"/>

===February 2019 private detective agency investigation===
In February 2019, the Covington Diocese released the investigation report of a private detective agency hired by the diocese and the high school, stating that the report exonerated the students.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mervosh|first=Paul|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/13/us/covington-catholic-investigation.html|title=Covington Students 'Did Not Instigate' Lincoln Memorial Encounter, Bishop Says|website=The New York Times|date=February 13, 2019|access-date=February 19, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/kenton-county/diocese-of-covington-releases-report-on-covcath-viral-video-incident|title=Diocese report finds Covington Catholic students did nothing wrong in viral Washington incident|website=WCPO Cincinnati|date=February 13, 2019|access-date=February 19, 2019}}</ref>

=== Defamation lawsuits ===   
Sandmann's family hired two law firms with lead attorney [[L. Lin Wood]], a prominent [[libel]] attorney who had previously worked on high-profile libel cases for clients including [[Death of JonBenét Ramsey|JonBenét Ramsey]]'s brother, [[Herman Cain]], and the family of [[Richard Jewell]] (falsely accused of being the 1996 [[Eric Rudolph|Olympic Park Bomber]]).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Steinbuch |first1=Yaron |title='MAGA' teen's family hires high-profile libel attorney |url=https://nypost.com/2019/01/25/maga-teens-family-hires-high-profile-libel-attorney/ |accessdate=25 January 2019 |date=2019-01-25 |quote=The family of a Catholic school student at the center of a confrontation with a Native American elder in Washington, DC, has hired a high-profile attorney, according to a report.  L. Lin Wood, who is known for aggressively pursuing libel and slander lawsuits against media outlets,}}</ref><ref name="farhi190219">{{cite web|last=Farhi|first=Paul|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-washington-post-sued-by-family-of-covington-catholic-teenager/2019/02/19/aa252be4-349c-11e9-854a-7a14d7fec96a_story.html|title=The Washington Post sued by family of Covington Catholic teenager|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=February 19, 2019|access-date=February 19, 2019}}</ref>  In February 2019, Wood filed a {{USD|250 million}} [[defamation]] lawsuit on behalf of Sandmann against ''[[The Washington Post]]''.<ref name="farhi190219"/><ref name="nw-20190219">Scott McDonald. "[https://www.newsweek.com/nicholas-sandmanns-attorneys-sue-washington-post-250-million-1336480 Covington Teen In Red MAGA Cap Sues The Washington Post For $250 Million]", newsweek.com, 19 February 2019. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220020054/https://www.newsweek.com/nicholas-sandmanns-attorneys-sue-washington-post-250-million-1336480 |date=20 Febaruary 2019}}</ref><ref name="nydn-20190219">Theresa Braine. "[https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-news-nick-sandmann-washington-post-lawsuit-20190219-story.html Lawyers for Nick Sandmann, high school junior who faced off with Native elder on Lincoln Memorial steps, sue Washington Post for $250 million]", ''New York Daily News'', 19 February 2019. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220015720/https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-news-nick-sandmann-washington-post-lawsuit-20190219-story.html |date=20 Febaruary 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/02/19/covington-catholic-students-lawyer-suit-filed-against-washington-post/2921874002/ | title = Covington Catholic student's legal team files $250M suit against The Washington Post | first = Max | last = Longburg | date = February 19, 2019 | accessdate = February 19, 2019 | work = [[USA Today]] }}</ref> The suit accuses the ''Post'' of publishing seven "false and defamatory articles".<ref name="ka-electronics1">Lin Wood and Todd McMurtry (February 19, 2019), [http://www.ka-electronics.com/images/pdf/Sandmann_v_Washington_Post_Complaint.pdf SANDMANN v. WASHINGTON POST complaint], UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY NORTHERN DIVISION AT COVINGTON</ref><ref>Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Antonio Olivo and Joe Heim (January 22, 2019), [https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/01/20/it-was-getting-ugly-native-american-drummer-speaks-maga-hat-wearing-teens-who-surrounded-him/ "'It was getting ugly': Native American drummer speaks on his encounter with MAGA-hat-wearing teens" (includes corrections)], ''The Washington Post''</ref><ref>Jake Tapper (January 20, 2019), [http://www.hemmerlaw.com/files/2019/02/Exhibit-A.pdf "Statement of Nick Sandmann. Covington Catholic High School Junior, Regarding Incident at the Lincoln Memorial"], Twitter via Hemmerlaw.com</ref><ref>Antonio Olivo, Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Joe Heim (January 20, 2019), [http://www.hemmerlaw.com/files/2019/02/Exhibit-F.pdf "Marcher's accost by boys in MAGA caps draws ire"], ''The Washington Post'' via Hemmerlaw.com</ref><ref>Michelle Boorstein (January 20, 2019), [https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2019/01/20/opposed-dignity-human-person-kentucky-catholic-diocese-condemns-teens-who-taunted-vet-march-life/ "'Opposed to the dignity of the human person': Kentucky Catholic diocese condemns teens who taunted vet at March for Life" (includes corrections)], ''The Washington Post''</ref><ref>Philip Bump (January 20, 2019), [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/01/20/most-young-white-men-are-much-more-open-diversity-than-older-generations/ "Most young white men are much more open to diversity than older generations" (includes corrections)], ''The Washington Post''</ref><ref>Michael E. Miller (January 22, 2019), [https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/picture-of-the-conflict-on-the-mall-comes-into-clearer-focus/2019/01/20/c078f092-1ceb-11e9-9145-3f74070bbdb9_story.html "Viral standoff between a tribal elder and a high schooler is more complicated than it first seemed" (includes corrections)], ''The Washington Post''</ref>  The complaint states:  <blockquote> ... [T]he ''Post'' engaged in a modern-day form of McCarthyism by competing with CNN and NBC, among others, to claim leadership of a mainstream and social media mob of bullies which attacked, vilified, and threatened Nicholas Sandmann ("Nicholas"), an innocent secondary school child. The Post wrongfully targeted and bullied Nicholas because he was the white, Catholic student wearing a red "Make America Great Again" souvenir cap on a school field trip.... [T]he ''Post'' knew and intended that its false and defamatory accusations would be republished by others, including media outlets and others on social media."<ref name="ka-electronics1"/> </blockquote> A spokeswoman for ''The Washington Post'' announced that the paper would defend itself against the lawsuit.<ref name="farhi190219"/>  A second suit against [[CNN]] was filed by Wood on behalf of Sandmann on March 12, 2019, seeking {{USD|275 million}} in damages.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-nativeamerican/cnn-hit-with-275-million-defamation-suit-by-kentucky-student-idUSKBN1QU0BY | title= CNN hit with $275 million defamation suit by Kentucky student | first = Keith | last =Coffman | date = March 12, 2019 | accessdate = March 13, 2019 | publisher = Reuters }}</ref>  According to Wood, the suit was filed for "vicious" and "direct attacks" towards his client, saying "CNN was probably more vicious in its direct attacks on Nicholas than ''The Washington Post''."  A third lawsuit was filed May 1, 2019, seeking US$275 million defamation lawsuit on behalf of Sandmann against NBCUniversal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/covington-catholic-high-student-nick-sandmann-sues-nbc-for-275m|title=Covington Catholic High student Nick Sandmann sues NBC for $275M|last=Wulfsohn|first=Joseph|date=2019-05-01|website=Fox News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-02}}</ref><ref name="CNNsuitUSATODAY">{{cite web|last=Brown|first=Dalvin|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/03/09/covington-catholic-lawsuit-planned-against-cnn-lawyer-says/3114618002/|title=Covington Catholic student's lawyer plans lawsuit against CNN after suing Washington Post|date=March 9, 2019|access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref><ref name="CNNsuitFOXNEWS">{{cite web|last=Quinn|first=Liam|url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/cnn-to-be-sued-for-more-than-250m-over-vicious-and-direct-attacks-on-covington-high-student-lawyer|title=CNN to be sued for more than $250M over 'vicious' and 'direct attacks' on Covington High student: lawyer |date=March 9, 2019|access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref><ref>Lin Wood and Todd McMurtry (March 12, 2019), [https://media.bizj.us/view/img/11247440/sandmann-v-cnn-03122019.pdf SANDMANN v. CABLE NEWS NETWORK], UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY NORTHERN DIVISION AT COVINGTON</ref><ref>Liam Quinn (March 14, 2019), [https://www.foxnews.com/us/ap-hbo-nbc-could-be-next-outlets-sued-over-coverage-of-covington-catholic-student-co-counsel "AP, HBO, NBC could be next outlets sued over coverage of Covington Catholic student: co-counsel"], Fox News</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|group="Notes"}}

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

[[Category:January 2019 events in the United States]]
[[Category:2019 in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:2019 controversies in the United States]]
[[Category:Media bias controversies]]
[[Category:Race-related controversies in the United States]]
[[Category:Black Hebrew Israelites]]
[[Category:Viral videos]]
[[Category:Covington Kids]]
[[Category:Covington Students]]