The daughter of former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin was among the legions of conservatives who fell for a hoax on Wednesday involving Caitlyn Jenner and a double-amputee Iraq War veteran who served in the Army.
The hoax, which was quickly debunked by the sports network ESPN, said that Army vet and athlete Noah Galloway had been the runner-up for the network’s “courage” award to Jenner, a former Olympian who recently made a splash for coming out as a transgender woman.
The phony “runner-up” story went viral in conservative circles until ESPN threw cold water on it by saying that there was no second place for the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, named for the late tennis champion who became an advocate for HIV prevention after contracting the virus.
Bristol Palin wrote in a post on her blog that it was was “crazy!!!” Jenner had beat out Galloway, whom she described as an “amazing veteran amputee.”
“I hate how everything in this liberal world is, ‘Oh equality for all, but not if you don’t agree with us!'” Palin wrote.
The rumor-busting website Snopes traced the hoax to a Monday tweet posted by Boston radio host Gerry Callahan:
Caitlyn Jenner wins Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
And the runner-up is …. pic.twitter.com/DKUdnPT8Gx
— Gerry Callahan (@GerryCallahan) June 1, 2015
ESPN explained its decision to award Jenner in a statement on its website:
The Arthur Ashe Courage Award is meant to honor individuals whose contributions transcend sports through courageous action. Sometimes that courage is demonstrated over the course of a lifetime and sometimes it is demonstrated in a single act that shines a light on an important contemporary issue. At all times, there are many worthy candidates. This year, we are proud to honor Caitlyn Jenner embracing her identity and doing so in a public way to help move forward a constructive dialogue about progress and acceptance.
According to Boston.com, a spokesperson from ESPN told the site that the award doesn’t even have runner-ups.
In an interview with Boston.com, the radio host said he meant the tweet sarcastically.
“It wasn’t until it made it around the globe that it got a little out of hand,” Callahan said, adding that he’d laughed about the situation. “I personally would have chosen Pete Frates. … But would have had no problem if the honor had gone to Lauren Hill or Noah Galloway. You can admire Jenner all you want, but to put Caitlyn in the discussion with those real-life heroes is just silly.”
“ESPN should give itself an award for over-the-top pandering,” Callahan added.
Despite the debunking, there were some conservatives who weren’t ready to let the issue go.
A staff writer at the conservative magazine The National Review published an op-ed piece on Wednesday that said it didn’t matter that no “runner-up” was chosen by ESPN.
Writer David French, in an article titled, “Yes, ESPN Did Pick Caitlyn Jenner Ahead of Iraq War Vet and Amputee Noah Galloway for the ESPY Courage Award,” still took issue with the sports network’s choice to give the courage award to Jenner.
So — no — Galloway wasn’t the “runner-up.” The reality, however, is even worse — there’s no evidence that a magnificently courageous man like Galloway was even considered for the award. And if he was indeed considered (or another worthy recipient like Lauren Hill, a college basketball player who died this year after a terrible battle with cancer) and passed over for Jenner, it’s even more absurd.
French also said Jenner showed “Hollywood courage,” which he said was “an action that is guaranteed to win the thunderous applause of the cultural elite — and gain fame and fortune — while earning the disapproval of a distant social conservative culture that coastal liberals rarely encounter and can’t begin to understand.”
According to French, Galloway, “by contrast, sacrificed his body for his country” and “showed perseverance through pain that we can scarcely comprehend.”
French ranted against the “liberal cultural narrative” in ESPN’s press release on its decision to award Jenner.
“But whatever,” French wrote at the end. “[Galloway] has to marry Caitlyn Jenner for ESPN to care.”
Bristol Palin’s full post is below:
Did you see this?
ESPN gave a “courage award” to Caitlyn Jenner instead of this amazing veteran amputee.
Isn’t that crazy!!! I hate how everything in this liberal world is, “Oh equality for all, but not if you don’t agree with us!”
I hate, for example, how Tim Tebow is SOOO mocked for being a Christian!!!! If anyone says they don’t believe in gay marriage, they’re cursed. Here’s the thing. Caitliyn Jenner looks great! I don’t care what people do… honestly I have gay friends, but it drives me crazy that people like Noah don’t get recognized for sacrificing their LIFE for our country, while being gay/transgender makes you a hero.
But shouldn’t we let everyone have their own opinions? Without restrictions on them?
We have way too many hypocrites.
