Why allow the facts get in the way of a snap?

Michael McCaul, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and chair of the so-called China Task Force that is pushing for “a comprehensive legislative plan to confront the Chinese Communist Party”, took his agenda to the opening of the World Economic Forum’s Annual Conference 2022 in Davos on Monday.

McCaul snapped a shot of the “Chinese delegation” sitting behind him, which showed that they remained seated during a standing ovation to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after the latter’s special address via video link at the opening of the event.

The US lawmaker shared the photo on social media, adding that he saw the “Chinese delegation” walk out after taking the photo, commenting that it sent “a clear message they do not support Ukraine”.

Unfortunately that left him with egg on his face as the “Chinese delegation” was in fact the Vietnamese delegation led by Le Minh Khai, deputy prime minister of Vietnam. And during the address of Zelensky, the Chinese delegation led by China’s Special Envoy on Climate Change Xie Zhenhua was in a closed-door meeting with Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, who later described the meeting with his old Chinese friend as an “excellent discussion” to make sure that measures to tackle climate change are at the heart of policy-making, which is exactly the agenda the Davos stage is set for.

Equally embarrassing, CNN wholeheartedly bought McCaul’s mistake and resold it to the world as fact.

Some CNN reporters, including anchor producer Nora Neus and anchor John Berman who interviewed McCaul on air in the program, also retweeted the “news”.

Neither McCaul nor any representative of CNN has apologized for their error.

Those attending the WEF event in Davos should make sure they are not photographed by any of the US delegation unless they want starring roles in Washington’s interminable fake news.