Brian Williams, the NBC host of “Nightly News,” is being slammed on Twitter for his false claim that the helicopter he rode in Iraq in 2003 came under heavy fire — and now memes are popping up on the Internet showing the anchor in a range of historical spots with the mocking hashtags, #BrianWilliamsMisremembers and #BrianWilliamsMemories.
On a recent broadcast, Mr. Williams admitted he “made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago” and falsely saying that “a helicopter we were traveling in was forced down after being hit by an RPG,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
He apologized and admitted, “No, we never came under direct enemy fire to the aircraft,” he said, Stars and Stripes reported.
But social media has reacted brutally. Users are Photoshopping pictures of Mr. Williams in various historical spots and times, with the hashtags #BrianWilliamsMemories and #BrianWilliamsMisremembers.
One photo places him to the side of Martin Luther King during the delivery of civil rights leader’s famous “I Have a Dream speech,” with the tweeted text: ” ’I said Martin, do you dream?’ he said yes, I said, ’well, tell the folks about your dreams,’ ” the Los Angeles Times found.
Another one superimposes Mr. Williams on the moon, with the tweeted text: “That one live shot I did from the moon, #BrianWilliamsMemories.”
Another puts him — wearing a suit and tie — in front of the military uniformed cast of “Saving Private Ryan,” with the text: “Saving Private Brian #BrianWilliamsMemories,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
Yet one more puts him in the front seat of the white Bronco driven by O.J. Simpson down the California highway, with the text: “Riding shotgun with O.J. #BrianWilliamsMemories.”
Still other Twitter users posted scathing commentaries about Mr. Williams’ lie, absent photos. One wrote, “No one ’misremembers’ being in a helo that gets shot down #BrianWilliams Seems disrespectful to the men and women actually in harms way,” Pix11 reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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