NY Magazine Accused of Leaving Out Black Guests in Trump Event Story
Share

New York Magazine has come under scrutiny for allegedly cropping out Black attendees from a photo used in a cover story about a Donald Trump inauguration event, raising accusations of bias and misrepresentation.
The story, penned by Brock Colyar and titled “The Cruel Kids’ Table,” features an image of predominately white partygoers and describes the attendees as “casually cruel Trumpers” who are “conquering Washington.”
CJ Pearson, a Black Republican and the host of the event, criticized the magazine for excluding him and other people of color from the narrative, claiming it was a deliberate choice to fit a preconceived storyline that portrays the MAGA movement as racially homogeneous.
Pearson took to Twitter to express his discontent, stating, “I hosted this event, and @NYMag intentionally left me out of their story because it would have undermined their narrative that MAGA is some racist cult.”
The controversy intensified with the inclusion of an unnamed attendee’s quote in the NY Magazine article, stating that “the entire room is white,” which critics argue is contradicted by the presence of Black, Latino, and Asian guests. Photos from the event shared online show at least three Black males were present, challenging the article’s depiction.
In response to the backlash, New York Magazine defended its editorial decision, asserting that the cropped photo on the cover still provides an “accurate impression” of the inauguration events.
The magazine explained, “The cover was cropped to the center of a picture that was published in full online, and we believe both the cover and story provide an accurate impression of the weekend.”
The incident has sparked a broader debate about media integrity and representation, with Pearson commenting on the distrust between the public and the media, suggesting that incidents like these contribute to why “the majority of the American people don’t believe a single thing the media says.”
New York Magazine’s handling of the cover story has not only drawn criticism from attendees but has also ignited discussions on the portrayal of political events in the media.