At the request of the Radio Television Digital News Association, Walmart pulled a threatening t-shirt on Wednesday reading, "Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some assembly required."
The shirt was available on Walmart's website for $18.99.
The shirt was removed within 24 hours after the organization, which promotes journalism ethics, requested that Walmart remove the item from its website.
According to the RTDNA, the shirt was made available on Walmart's website through a third-party supplier Teespring.
"As a fierce proponent of the First Amendment that is politically nonpartisan, we recognize Walmart’s right to sell the T-Shirts, and the right of consumers to purchase and wear them," RTDNA executive director Dan Shelley said in a letter to Walmart. "However, just because Walmart has the right to sell the shirts, that doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do."
Walmart responded to Shelley's letter, reading in part, "We have forwarded this to the appropriate team to remove it. Walmart.com does appreciate feedback like this so that offensive material does not appear on our website."
Shelley said he appreciates Walmart removing the item, but, "dismayed that it, and anyone else selling the shirt, would offer such an offensive and inflammatory product."
The RTDNA cited stats from the US Press Freedom Tracker which says that there have been 34 physical attacks on journalists in the US in 2017.
From Trump rally in Minnesota today, via @ReutersPoliticspic.twitter.com/a7CdYT1UCi
— Breanne Deppisch (@breanne_dep) November 6, 2016
