Newsweek contributor Sydney Pereira posted an online article with a headline that misleadingly suggested Melania Trump ordered the destruction of an historic White House tree, presumably out of some hardhearted or white supremacist motive. Newsweek, you may remember, is the worthless rag that posted this hateful, insane click-bait on Christmas Eve: "How Trump and the Nazis Stole Christmas to Promote White Nationalism."

The new Newsweek headline reads, "Melania Trump Orders Removal of Near-200-Year-Old Tree From White House," suggesting that Melania imperiously commanded that an historic tree be destroyed, perhaps because it obscured her haughty White House view. The truth, laid out clearly in the article itself, is very different, but writer Sydney Pereira, or perhaps the Newsweek editors, know full well that people online have limited time and tend to simply scan headlines without reading the full articles. So most readers wouldn't get the truth; they would get only the impression from the headline that the Trumps had once again done something that all decent, right-thinking Progressives should #Resist.

The tree in question is an historic magnolia which has been on the south facade of the White House since the 1800s, when President Andrew Jackson was believed to have brought it from his farm to planted in honor of his wife’s death. It has been "the backdrop for events from state arrival ceremonies and Marine One departures and arrivals to Easter Egg Rolls," the Newsweek article reads, and was even featured on the back of the $20 bill between 1928 and 1998.

The article points out that Mrs. Trump made the decision to have it removed after tree specialists informed her that “the overall architecture and structure of the tree is greatly compromised."

A document from specialists at the United States National Arboretum stated that the magnolia has had permanent damage for about five decades, and urged the removal of the tree, which is “completely dependent on artificial support." Without this support, the document continued, "the tree would have fallen years ago. Presently, and very concerning, the cabling system is failing on the east trunk, as a cable has pulled through the very thin layer of wood that remains. It is difficult to predict when and how many more will fail.”

So "after reviewing and assessing professional information and historical documents," the Newsweek article notes, “Mrs. Trump personally reviewed the reports from the United States National Arboretum and spoke at length with her staff about exploring every option before making the decision to remove a portion of the magnolia tree,” according to Trump’s communications director, Stephanie Grisham. “After reviewing the reports, [Mrs. Trump] trusted that every effort had been made to preserve the historic tree and was concerned about the safety of visitors and members of the press, who are often standing right in front of the tree during Marine One lifts.”

"The tree was about to fall, and experts recommended its removal," the Newsweek article states [emphasis added]. Melania merely made the decision based on the recommendation of experts, so that no one might be injured when the tree inevitably fails -- not even members of the press who openly despise, defy, and defame the Trumps.

She even reportedly requested that wood from the tree be preserved.

But none of this would inflame leftist Trump-haters; hence a headline was crafted that would paint Melania Trump in a negative light.

Despite getting social media blowback over the blatantly misleading headline, Newsweek still has not corrected it.

This is why no one takes Newsweek or the mainstream media seriously anymore.