In journalism school, you are constantly reminded to check the veracity of your sources. I should know, I got that degree. It’s something that the current media, in their rush to have the biggest, ugliest scoop, constantly ignores.

Here we have Jake Tapper, who – despite his leanings – DOES practice real journalism by verifying sources. This time, he’s working his own contacts to get a full context for the sh*tstorm that is swirling around the reported “sh*thole” comment allegedly made by President Trump.

So how and why is President Trump denying the remarks that he reportedly said?

I have some clarifying reporting from a source familiar the meeting. I want to start by saying that this does not make what he said any more acceptable, but it might shed some light on it all. 1/

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 12, 2018

The president did not refer to Haiti as a “shithole” country according to the source familiar with the meeting… though he DID say it about countries in Africa…

What happened, the source says, is there was a conflation of two different remarks by the president. 2/

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 12, 2018

First, when talking about “temporary protected status” countries as part of the immigration deal it was mentioned that Salvadorans, Hondurans and Haitians have that status. 3/

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 12, 2018

“Haitians?” the president said. “Why do we need more Haitians? Take them out” —- meaning take them out of the deal.

4/

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 12, 2018

Then in a separate part of the conversation when they were referencing the diversity visa lottery, President Trump referred to people coming from Africa as coming from “shithole countries.”

Again, I’m not saying this is better. Just that this is what happened, per my source. 5/

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 12, 2018

6/ So that might explain the kinda-pushback from POTUS today. -fin-

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 12, 2018

And for trying to actually practice REAL journalism, people started yelling at Tapper.

If you don’t want facts, don’t follow me.

I said this didn’t make it more acceptable. But it is what happened, my source says.

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 12, 2018

And now, for doing his own research, and insisting on some standards, Tapper will be cast as a Trump apologist, rather than as a professional. It’s all so silly. https://t.co/RWlope8BTq

— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) January 12, 2018

So, who exactly is claiming that this quote is exact? Um, Senator Dick Durbin.

Sen. Durbin on Trump comments. Was in the room. Calls racist language heartbreaking. @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/lKM5QDPr5r

— Mike Puccinelli (@MPuccinelliCBS2) January 12, 2018

Durbin has had – ahem! – problems with fabrication before.

Just a quick reminder: Sen. Durbin has fabricated quotes out of White House meetings before. Maybe take his "shithole" say-so with all the grains of salt. (link: https://t.co/XawMtrU4yZ) pic.twitter.com/RqPov7TtdF

— Ruthless T. Firefly (@BecketAdams) January 12, 2018

News flash: water is wet, the Earth revolves around the Sun, and politicians lie.

And Sen. Durbin is a known liar, so we have exactly zero reason to believe his version of events. I guess that leaves us with Sen. Flake and Jake Tapper’s follow-up sourcing? What to do, what to do.

— Ruthless T. Firefly (@BecketAdams) January 12, 2018

All of this is complicated by the fact that president is a liar, and that he has surrounded himself with other liars . So … lol, maybe two liars cancel out each other.

— Ruthless T. Firefly (@BecketAdams) January 12, 2018

My internal monologue, everyday since Jan. 20, 2017. pic.twitter.com/SzkvRN8BNm

— Ruthless T. Firefly (@BecketAdams) January 12, 2018

In the meantime, the media is madly spinning – and then retracting – stories of resignations by diplomats. First, it was the ambassador to Panama.

JUST IN: U.S. Ambassador to Panama has resigned in the wake of President Trump's racially charged comments about Haiti and African nations pic.twitter.com/qh6kX50S4V

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 12, 2018

Um, no.

NOTE: Feeley's resignation went up at 1 PM Jan. 11, before "shithole" comments became public, citing "personal reasons" https://t.co/pHjvxZeUtv

— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) January 12, 2018

See, what’s funny is that Univision reported this yesterday at 1:35 pm, well before the “shithole” fiasco.

But Feeley's resignation is being characterized as a reaction to the president’s reported remarks. So, that’s really neat. https://t.co/g9XAVi5duU

— Ruthless T. Firefly (@BecketAdams) January 12, 2018

And the report that the ambassador to Haiti is leaving? Also wrong.

So, we have a sourcing problem, a narrative being spun and then wrecked, and a media literally frothing at the mouth.

And then the media wonders why the American people believe that “fake news” exists and they lie.