Titanic sub is missing in 'most hostile environment you can imagine': G Michael Harris
Friends of Titan submersible passengers G. Michael Harris, Aaron Newman, and Tom Dettweiler discuss the search for the missing submarine on 'The Story.'
The left-wing publication The New Republic stirred intense viral backlash for fixating on the political donations made by the CEO of the missing Titanic submersible as time is running out to save those aboard.
OceanGate chief Stockton Rush is among the five individuals that were on the Titan vessel seeking to explore the wreckages of the famed Titanic cruise ship when the sub went missing on Sunday as experts believe the crew may run out of oxygen by Thursday.
But on Wednesday, The New Republic prioritized Rush's "history" of donation to GOP candidates, running the story titled "OceanGate CEO Missing in Titanic Sub Had History of Donating to GOP Candidates."
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This file image provided by OceanGate shows the Titan submersible descending into the ocean. (OceanGate Expeditions)
"Public campaign finance records indicate that Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate currently stuck on the missing Titan submersible that was running a tourist expedition of the Titanic wreck, has been a consistent Republican donor over the years," New Republic senior political correspondent Daniel Strauss wrote, adding "According to these public finance records, Rush was not a Republican megadonor, but his donations over the years leaned heavily toward Republican candidates."
The report went on to list the various Republicans Rush financially backed.
Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate exhibitions, is among the five-person crew trapped in the missing Titan submersible. (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)
The bizarre focus on the potentially ill-fated CEO drew fiery condemnation on social media.
"What the f--- is wrong with you?" commentator Noam Blum reacted.
"The New Republic thinks the CEO of OceanGate deserves to suffocate on the bottom of the ocean because he supported Republicans," Media Research Center associate editor Nicholas Fondacaro wrote.
The New Republic went viral with a tweet echoing the headline "OceanGate CEO Missing in Titanic Sub Had History of Donating to GOP candidates." (Screenshot/The New Republic)
"Wow. What if the missing CEO had donated to the other party? How disgusting and pathetic," Fox News' Janice Dean tweeted.
"When you lose your humanity, this is what you write about," radio host Tony Katz said.
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"Thanks for this very vital information. I really didn’t know what to think about the entire story until this," conservative writer A.G. Hamilton sarcastically told The New Republic.
"The entire article – from top to bottom – is like a work of art. A how-to for how NOT to do journalism. It's beautiful, really, in a hilariously moronic sort of way," National Journalism Center program director T. Becket Adams wrote.
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The tweet was later deleted though the headline on the original article remains in tact.
The New Republic did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
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