Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday blamed the Democrats’ push to impeach President Trump in January for distracting the Trump administration from the threat posed by coronavirus.“It came up while we were tied down in the...
The radical press and Nancy Pelosi are both complicit in lying to the American people with their misleading statements and actions that are not related to President Trump in any way.
DISHONESTY OF THE MEDIA
If the ignorant press would look into who is directly (not indirectly) responsible for the safety of the American people, it is the state governors who are on the front lines. Trump can only provide national support, like restricting flights, releasing the military, and forcing the production of needed supplies.
The governors are those who direct what their state’s people are to do and how to do it. I am tired of everything being blamed on Trump when it is not up to the President to make those decisions. Did Trump delay action in New York City on telling people not to congregate in groups? No, it was the city’s health commissioner advising just the opposite and Mayor Bill de Blasio not making any directives until well after it was a huge problem. That was not Trump’s fault.
DEMS HAVE BEEN ON THE WRONG SIDE SINCE BEGINNING
Let’s look back at everyone’s comments three or four weeks ago. Democrats did not want Trump to ban travel from China. Do I “blame” them for that? No. They did not have ESP. However, for them to turn around and expect the President or any politician to have the same ESP they didn’t have is disingenuous. Anyone who does not rally behind the President who represents our country at this time of crisis is not patriotic. Quit criticizing and taking political shots. It shows ignorance, hatred, and a lack of patriotism.
The Democrats in Congress and the Senate, along with their friends in the media, need to be held accountable for disregarding the safety of our country for the last three years, to set up the Russia collusion hoax, the Ukraine impeachment hoax and any little thing to stop the progress of fixing this country after Barack Obama. They interrupted any and all activities in Washington, just to reverse the 2016 elections.
People were dying while Pelosi was messing around with impeachment. People were dying while Pelosi was sneaking in funding for the Kennedy Center and other projects unrelated to these same people she talks about. She only needs to look at herself to see who is fiddling.
As more people become ill, each country’s health care systems will be pushed to the brink to treat an increasing number of patients. Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States is helping its citizens and small businesses with a $2 trillion rescue package. Our President also made the right call by shutting down all passenger air traffic with China and Europe, and fast-tracking desperately needed medical equipment and supplies to critical hotspots like New York. He has the right team in place to see us through this crisis.
NEGATIVITY IS NOT CONSTRUCTIVE
The only way Mr. Trump, or any other heads of state, could have reacted better would have required them to be able to predict the unpredictable, to be prepared for the unpreparable. This is a WORLDWIDE pandemic. The spread in our country was unavoidable. We were under attack before we knew there was an attack before we knew what the enemy was. 20/20 hindsight and arguing about would have, could have, should have is not constructive. The only way to defeat this enemy is for EVERYONE to do their part and stay focused on that victory. The safety of others depends on YOU.
I can only speak for myself, but nobody is wholly prepared for something like this to happen. Frankly, I think Trump has done an excellent job of trying to minimize the fear-mongering the media has put out there. It’s not up to the government to save people; it’s mostly up to the people themselves.
They say you tell a lot about a person by how they behave during a crisis. How will Pelosi and the MSM be remembered after we get through this one? Just remember when a liberal blames somebody else, it is the liberal who is more guilty of that thing.
Strange but true: people gotta eat. Really. I looked it up. People gotta eat. It gives 'em energy, keeps their organs functioning, boosts their immune system, all kinds of good stuff like that. I tell ya, the things you learn when your town's in lockdown. Who knew?
Also true: a lot of people don’t have enough to eat even when "times are good," let alone during epic, once-a-century pandemics. Me, I tend to suck at growing, preserving, packing, distributing, and cooking food—my skills are mostly limited to tearing open plastic bags with the word Brach's on them. So that's why I'm happy Feeding America is around. They're damn good at all of the above, even during pandemics, and that's why we're putting our Tuesday C&J spotlight on them this week. Here's what they're doing:
Continued…
Feeding America [has] announced the establishment of the COVID-19 Response Fund to help food banks across the country as they support communities impacted by the pandemic. Still, it is impossible for the Feeding America network to address this pandemic without public and government support, so that food banks can do what they do best—feed people in need within their communities.
The COVID-19 Response Fund is up and running.
Many may not realize food-insecure households are likely more susceptible to the virus. This is believed to be due to lesser access to adequate health care, lower resistance or compromised immune systems, stigma or bias, or lack of information about proper prevention and care.
In addition, school closures, job disruptions, lack of paid sick leave and the coronavirus’ disproportionate impact on adults age 60 and older and low-income families further contribute to the demands placed on food banks. Lost wages or sudden expenses due to illness will be increasingly burdensome for the millions of people in America who live paycheck to paycheck, especially when, according to the Federal Reserve, 40 percent of Americans don’t have enough cash on hand to cover a $400 emergency expense.
Today the C&J household is making a $50 donation to Feeding America, and we encourage you to help out as you're able. The main donation link is here. Or, to support a specific community directly, you can use the Feeding America food bank locator at this link.You can also follow them for updates on Twitter here and the evil Facebook here.
Needless to say, the earlier they can get out in front of this madness, the better off everyone will be. Many thanks.
And now, our feature presentation…
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Cheers and Jeers for Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Note: Your left pinky wants you to know that every time you wash your hands it gets a tingle up its cuticle, for which it thanks you most kindly. —Mgt.
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By the Numbers:
Primary is now June 23rd.
Days 'til the new June 23 date for the New York primary: 84
Percent of Americans polled by ABC News-WaPost who say they're maintaining more distance from other people because of the coronavirus: 93%
Approval in Massachusetts for how President Trump and Gov. Charlie Baker (R) are responding to the coronavirus outbreak, according to the latest Suffolk U./Boston Globe poll: 28%, 80%
Current numbers in the latest Biden-Trump match-up, according to a survey of registered voters by Fox News: 49%-40%
Number of people in India's Punjab region quarantined because one Sikh priest got it in Italy and refused to self-quarantine: 40,000
CHEERS to propaganda fail. The network news executives may be going out of their way to make Trump look normal (it keeps the horse race with Biden looking closer, don'tcha know), but a large majority of Americans aren't buying the spin, according to Sam Stein at The Daily Kraken. They (we) know that tests aren't available, a vaccine is a long way off, and warm weather isn’t going to save us, according to the Ipsos numbers. Conclusion:
A clear majority of the American public, including self-identified Republicans, do not believe the disinformation that President Donald Trump keeps pushing around the spread of coronavirus. And even members of the president’s own party are skeptical of his argument that getting the country back to work needs to be as prioritized as public safety measures. […]
Collectively, the results present a portrait of a public that is sober minded about the coronavirus and unpersuaded by talk that life could return to normalcy soon.
Another ominous sign for Putin’s pet: despite all his crowing and posturing and pretending to be a "war president" during the worst American crisis since the Great Depression, he still can't climb past 45 percent approval. Damn bone spurs.
CHEERS to sayin' it plain. Gabe Brown is the mayor of Walton, Kentucky, and he's in no mood to give high-falutin' speeches while giving out keys to the city or read flowery speeches while cutting ribbons at supermarket grand openings. Walton, like everywhere else in America, is now Pandemic Town, and Mayor Brown cracked open Facebook to slap some sense into his residents (and anyone else who reads his message, which has gone viral). A snip:
Listen up dipshits and sensible people. I might not have the best bedside manor. I might not put you at ease like the Governor does, but I don’t care. You need to realize that this is a serious ordeal. In fact, it’s a big f**cking deal. Stay at home. […]
Mayor Brown speak. You listen.
This will pass. Take it seriously. It is here. Act like you have the virus and don’t spread it to other people. I have no doubt that it hasn’t already been here, but testing had been limited. More cases are coming. If you ignore this problem, the worst thing that could happen is that your mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, aunts, uncles could die. Be responsible. If you don’t, then screw you.
Golly, does he really need to use such harsh language to get people to pay attention? I'll give you a hint: he's talking to Americans.
CHEERS to champions of the little guy. Happy 93rd birthday to the late Cesar Chavez. He founded the National Farm Workers Association, which gave a voice to migrant farm workers. He also used a spiffy motto (coined, we should note, by Dolores Huerta) that might sound familiar: "Sise puede!"—Yes we can! These days we could use all the Chavezes we can get, and the anti-Trump resistance movement is certainly busy producing some. Unfortunately, as with all public events…
We look forward to this annual event as it gives the Foundation staff and our friends an opportunity to enjoy an evening together and honor individuals who embody the legacy of Cesar Chavez.
Though we are disappointed that we have to postpone this event, the Cesar Chavez Foundation is taking all necessary precautions to minimize the possibility of COVID-19 exposure to guests, honorees, and staff.
Pay your respects here. Today in his honor: total boycott of lettuce and grapes. Yes...even for the squirrels on the roof.
� Nature is Lit� (@NaturelsLit) March 30, 2020
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END BRIEF HAND WASH BREAK
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CHEERS to today's edition of Gee, He Says That Like It's A Bad Thing. Courtesy of Joe.My.God:
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) on Monday said he thinks Democratic “radicals” in the House will attempt to “blackmail the country” and President Trump into signing “a new bill with everything they’ve ever wanted in life” in the next action to address the coronavirus crisis.
“I think it’s very likely that the House, where the radicals are in control, would love to blackmail the country. … They’re salivating at the idea that they could produce a new bill with everything they’ve ever wanted in life and somehow blackmail the president into signing it."
This has been today's edition of Gee, He Says That Like It's A Bad Thing.
CHEERS to fun in the sun. On March 31, 1917, the U.S. took possession of what are now the U.S. Virgin Islands (not to be confused with the inferior British Virgin Islands) from Denmark for $25 million. Residents there—who are considered U.S. citizens—are allowed to vote in presidential primaries but not the general election. Which is like your parents giving you a scoop of freezer-burned vanilla ice cream on your birthday while your siblings get a big bowl of Chunky Monkey with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, nuts, Oreos and gummi bears wrapped in hundred-dollar bills. Damn. I thought I'd blotted that day out. Time to ring up my therapist on Zoom again.
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Ten years ago in C&J: March 31, 2010
JEERS to whiners in high places. You remember, as I do, how "moderate" Republican Maine Senator Olympia Snowe was wined and dined and coddled and cooed by the Obama White House and the Democratic Senate leadership during the health insurance reform push.
Like her soulmate, soon-to-be-ex Senator Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe (R-ME) came into office a sensible moderate, and left a tea party twit with an ego the size of Mount Kathadin.
Her vote was so coveted ("Then we can call it a bipartisan bill" went the logic) that she became better known as "President Snowe." Her big beef was the evil public option, and despite sending her chocolates and flowers every day for a year and even giving the public option the heave-ho, she still voted "Fuck you, uninsured Americans." And now she's explaining why to the Portland Press Herald: because Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi were mean to her. Perhaps in your fantasy universe, Ma'am. But here in the real world, when history called, you simply sat there and let the answering machine pick up. You can relax, Margaret Chase Smith—your legacy as Maine's finest woman legislator remains intact.
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And just one more...
CHEERS to them's who crossed the finish line first. It's a well-established fact by now that C&J's "Who won the week" poll, introduced 12 years ago this week, is considered America's 500-pound gorilla of weekly polls. Every Friday we pluck a gaggle of worthy candidates from the previous seven-day news cycle and affix them to their place of honor on the front page. The candidate who gets the most votes wins. Period. No electoral college here—fuck that.
I can't really remember what inspired me to create the first one, but today it's a feel-good feature that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with such time-honored American traditions as stickball, setting pies on window sills to cool, and following competent and popular Democratic presidents with Republican shitbags. As we leave behind the first quarter of 2020, let's take a moment to review the winners from January through March, during which C&J experienced an "All of the Above" pandemic to no one's horror or disappointment:
Jan 3 Anybody who's glad to see 2019 in the rear-view mirror
Jan 10 The Australian and international firefighters battling the historic bushfires, and animal rescuers
Jan 17 Rachel Maddow and former Giuliani "fixer" Lev Parnas, for interviews during which new revelations brought the Trump Ukraine scandal into shocking new perspective
Jan 24 The Democratic impeachment managers: Jeffries, Demings, Garcia, Nadler, Crow, Lofgren, and especially Adam Schiff, for winning raves as they made their case against Trump
Jan 31 The House impeachment managers, for fighting during Trump's trial to protect and defend the Constitution as Trump's lawyers were busy shredding it
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Feb 7 Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who tore up her copy of the SOTU when Captain Adderall was done gaslighting America...and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for a fine Democratic rebuttal
Each winner receives this delicious luggage set for a modest $250 shipping and handling fee.
Feb 14 Michael Marando, Aaron Zelinsky, Jonathan Kravis, and Adam Jed, the federal prosecutors on the Roger Stone case who resigned after AG Bill Barr interfered for political reasons
Feb 21 Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who treated eye-rolling billionaire Michael Bloomberg to a rhetorical knuckle sandwich at a debate in Las Vegas
Feb 28 The war against "very fine people," as confederate symbols are banned from Marine Corps bases, and the FBI nabs 5 American Nazi terrorists for targeting government leaders, churches, and journalists
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March 6 Joe Biden, whose endorsement by Rep. Jim Clyburn in South Carolina resulted in a groundswell of support that propelled him to 11 primary wins in four days and a substantial lead in delegates
March 13 All of the above (related to heroes of the coronavirus outbreak)
March 20 All of the above (most related to heroes of the coronavirus outbreak)
March 27 All of the above(most related to heroes of the coronavirus outbreak)
By the way, "Senator" Barack Obama won our first poll in 2008, and by the time he left office he'd won 84 polls voted on by the Daily Kos community, making him indisputably first in the hearts of our countrymen. (Sorry, George Washington, but we're just not into your "uniformity in weights and measures" shtick anymore.)
Oh, and happy birthday to my sane senator, Angus King, who has the most unintentionally egotistical party-state designation in the chamber: (I-ME). And many blessings on your camels. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
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Today's Shameless C&J Testimonial
“God is not mocked. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will not inherit the Cheers and Jeers kiddie pool.”
Democrats have a big MeToo problem on their hands, and how they handle it could — and should — go a long way towards determining the outcome of the presidential election.The problem allegedly involves former Vice President Joe Biden.Biden, the Dems' presumptive presidential nominee, was accused last week of sexual assault by a former staffer, Tara Reade. She told a podcast host that in 1993, Biden pushed her against a wall and penetrated her with his fingers. "I thought this was my future, and so when that happened I felt, it's like someone pulling the rug out," Reade said.A spokesperson for Biden denied the claims. "Women have a right to tell their story, and reporters have an obligation to rigorously vet those claims," the campaign said in a statement. "We encourage them to do so, because these accusations are false."Thanks in part to the coronavirus pandemic, the allegation so far seems to have had little effect on the political ecosphere. (My colleagues at The Week have noted Reade's accusation in their coverage of Biden's campaign.) But as the presidential election draws near, that seems certain to change. Already, the issue is a hot topic in conservative media, where Biden is seen as benefiting from a double standard — getting the benefit of the doubt that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh didn't receive when assault allegations surfaced during his nomination hearings in 2018."It seems unlikely the Reade accusation can sink Biden's candidacy," Robby Soave wrote at Reason, "but whether Democratic primary voters and the mainstream media are willing to air it out as they did Kavanaugh's will tell us a lot about what 'believe all women' actually means.He is right.At first glance, the situation facing Biden is not so different from that which faced Kavanaugh: Both involved decades-old allegations, making corroborating evidence difficult to obtain. Who you believe, in both cases, probably depends more on what you want to believe than on actual evidence. Full disclosure: I want Biden to be innocent — but I also think Reade's story deserves respectful consideration.Democrats don't have a great history with this stuff. They accommodated and lauded former President Bill Clinton for decades despite an impeachment involving proven adultery and accusations of rape. They forced Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) out of office when allegations surfaced against him, but many Democrats have since expressed regret about that. In Virginia, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax remains ensconced in office despite being accused of sexual assault by two women. And even without the new accusation, Biden is problematic. He has a history of being handsy with women — and indeed, Reade had previously accused him of inappropriately putting his hand on her shoulder and running his finger up her neck. The party is good at offering lip service to the notion of protecting and believing women. Often, though, those ideals are nudged aside or ignored for the sake of preserving power.As a practical matter, though, it behooves Democrats to make a rigorous investigation — inasmuch as it is possible — of Reade's accusation. Trump and his allies will almost certainly use the story against him. In 2016, when the notorious Access Hollywood tape surfaced, Trump responded by bringing Bill Clinton's accusers to his next debate with Hillary Clinton. The president won't hesitate to utilize similar tactics against Biden. If only for the sake of winning the election, Democrats have to make a real effort to resolve this allegation — and do it in a way that doesn't drag Reade's name through the mud.If her story is found to have merit, Biden should be forced out of the race.Truthfully, that seems unlikely to happen. Too much time has passed to arrive at a definitive answer. But the party of "believe women" will lose all credibility if it simply brushes off Reade and makes no effort at all to ascertain the truth. The GOP-controlled Senate confirmed Kavanaugh without a complete investigation. Democrats must do better.Forget politics, though. Americans in recent years have lamented that women's stories are so often silenced and ignored. We shouldn't halt that progress for the sake of a presidential campaign.Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here.More stories from theweek.com Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is what real coronavirus leadership looks like The case for cautious optimism about the pandemic Walmart to start taking workers' temperatures, providing gloves and masks
Fox News host Sean Hannity—without a hint of irony—wondered aloud Monday night how anyone in America could trust the coronavirus coverage of the “outright conspiracy theorists” in the media.Yes, the pro-Trump primetime star who called the coronavirus a “deep state” plot and suggested Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party murdered Seth Rich, is worried about conspiracy theorists.In a live broadcast from the pier in front of the USNS Comfort in New York City on Monday, Hannity took issue with a number of MSNBC hosts’ criticism of President Donald Trump’s slow response to the COVID-19 crisis.Piggybacking on the right-wing outrage over Meet the Press host Chuck Todd asking Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden if he felt Trump had “blood” on his hands, Hannity called the question “pathetic” and accused the MSNBC anchor of propping up Biden to “bludgeon President Trump.”Hannity then turned his attention to Todd’s “conspiratorial colleague” Rachel Maddow for criticizing Trump on March 20 for promising to send a hospital ship to New York “by next week,” something Maddow said “was nonsense,” as it wasn’t going to arrive by then.Fox Business Ditches Trish Regan After Coronavirus ‘Impeachment Scam’ RantAcknowledging that Maddow was technically correct, Hannity noted that the ship still arrived in 10 days and asked theatrically how Trump was ever going to recover.He then took some additional shots at Maddow and her network.“How does anyone trust the outright conspiracy theorists, that whole network full of lies, conspiracy theories, how?” Hannity fumed. “I never see one person get this much wrong over the span of four years and never gets called out. She does a disservice to her viewers.”Hannity calling out others in the media for peddling conspiracies, especially surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, is rich, considering his own history.Just in the past few weeks, and before he pivoted to taking the crisis seriously, the Fox News star suggested that the pandemic was a “deep state” plot to hurt the American economy, claimed liberals were “scaring people unnecessarily” about the virus in order the “bludgeon Trump with this new hoax,” and insisted Democrats were “weaponizing” the disease to take down the president.Hannity, who spent weeks claiming COVID-19 was no more dangerous than the seasonal flu, also seemingly suggested earlier this month that people who vape could be immune to the deadly virus.The Trump confidant is also well-known for peddling conspiracy theories about Democrats, especially former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Hannity was a leading promoter of the baseless theory that Clinton and the Democratic Party had DNC staffer Seth Rich murdered because he spoke to WikiLeaks. The Rich family later sued Fox News over the ordeal, and Hannity lost several advertisers.Chris Hayes: ‘Crazy’ to Broadcast ‘Dangerous’ Trump BriefingsRead more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
On Jan. 20, the United States confirmed its first case of the coronavirus. The nation’s political and media elite obsessed over Mitch McConnell’s just-announced resolution governing the impeachment trial of President Trump. On Jan. 23, China locked down the city of Wuhan. Cable news in America lit up with praise for the epic, nay historic,...
Anyone can see the media’s attacks on the president every day during the virus briefings. The president is good at shooting them down in flames. But when he’s not there to defend himself, political cowards like NBC’s Chuck Todd try to get away with a lot.
During Sunday’s Meet the Press Todd tried a move on Joe Biden. To Biden’s minor credit he did not rise to the total bait.
Todd asked Biden, concerning the virus, “Do you think there is blood on the president’s hands considering the slow response? Or is that too harsh of a criticism?”
Biden responded that it was “a little too harsh.” A little, Joe? Yeah, and the Pacific is “a little” deep.
Certain of Todd’s fellow media members quickly took him to task for the question, “Tim Russert would never ask a question like this. Even Joe Biden didn’t take the bait to assist in a viral moment attempt,” said The Hill media reporter Joe Concha.
Concha also said: “Chuck Todd served as a moderator of an NBC News debate on Feb 19, which was more than two weeks after President Trump suspended travel from China. Number of questions Todd asked any of the candidates about Coronavirus? Zero.”
The media has not realized the ground has shifted under them. They live in what they think were their glory days of the Mueller probe and impeachment hearings, before it all came crashing down around them.
Like a sad piano player in a seedy bar, the media knows only that one tune and they play it over and over again, regardless of what any customer may want to hear.
America is far past that and lives in the here and now of a national crisis. Telling blatant lies, as is always expected of Todd, was previously shrugged off by many as par for the course for the mainstream media.
In the present we are dealing with life and death on a daily basis. But Todd doesn’t see that. He only sees his rancid brand of politics. As such, one day in the not too distant future, he may be called to account by viewers for his words of today.
This piece was written by David Kamioner on March 30, 2020. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.
Twitter on Monday morning deleted Fox News host Laura Ingraham’s viral tweet posted earlier this month touting the drug hydroxychloroquine as having been used by one New York hospital to “very promising results” and claiming that one “seriously ill” patient had a Lazarus-like recovery from the coronavirus thanks to it.On two consecutive nights earlier this month, Ingraham hosted an oncologist she described as being “with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City” to promote the anti-malaria drug that President Donald Trump has peddled as a “game changer” in treating COVID-19. The primetime cable star repeatedly touted the doctor’s credentials and purported findings on the drug’s effectiveness, later repeating his claims to other TV guests and on social media. But, as it turns out, the doctor is not at all employed by Lenox Hill.On her March 19 show, when Ingraham first interviewed that oncologist, Dr. William Grace, he claimed that, thanks to hydroxychloroquine, “we have not had a death in our hospital. We have probably close to a 100 patients, and not had any deaths.” And during a later segment with a different doctor, Ingraham referred back to Grace’s claims about Lenox Hill, adding that he told her about one near-death individual at the hospital who was miraculously saved by the drug. “One patient was described as Lazarus getting up after—after he was, he was like on death’s door,” she breathlessly exclaimed. “And they started getting a protocol of hydroxychloroquine at Lenox Hill, and it suddenly like Lazarus, up from the grave. I mean that’s an actual case.”Ingraham was so impressed by that anecdote that she tweeted about it the next morning. “Lenox Hill in New York among many hospitals already using Hydroxychloroquine with very promising results,” Ingraham wrote on March 20. “One patient was described as ‘Lazarus’ who was seriously ill from Covid-19, already released.”Twitter deleted that post on Monday, confirming to Mediaite that the post was removed because it fell under their “misleading information policy” with its “Heightened-risk health claims.” A Twitter spokesperson further confirmed to The Daily Beast that the platform required the tweet to be deleted by the account’s owner under the threat of being suspended.Ingraham’s post had remained on Twitter for ten days, despite Fox News quietly burying the fact that she had misrepresented Dr. Grace as being employed by the hospital about which he repeatedly made miraculous claims.Sean Hannity: Media Scared Trump Looks ‘Too Presidential’ in Coronavirus BriefingsAfter a second appearance on Ingraham’s show, on March 21, in which Grace once again touted hydroxychloroquine as a coronavirus cure, Fox News posted the segment on its website with the headline: “Malaria drugs touted by Trump can work against coronavirus, top doc tells Laura Ingraham.”The following day, however, freelance author Nancy Levine reported that Lenox Hill informed her that “Dr. Grace is not employed by the Hospital. He is a private physician who has admitting privileges. His views are his own and do not represent the hospital.” A hospital spokesperson confirmed this statement with The Daily Beast.And so Fox News quietly added a correction: “Editor's Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated Dr. William Grace’s relationship to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Dr. Grace is not employed by the hospital and his opinions given below are his own.”But Ingraham’s tweet remained up, and she has yet to correct herself on-air. Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The Fox star’s misleading segments also appeared to result in a New Jersey State Sen. Joe Pennachio lauding Grace’s anecdotal evidence. Repeating Ingraham’s misrepresentation, the Republican lawmaker billed the oncologist as a “top” doctor “at Lenox Hill Hospital,” and touted hydroxychloroquine as a result.President Donald Trump has also seemingly been influenced by the misleading claims of Fox News stars and their guests as part of his push for hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 cure.Last Monday, the president gushed over the Lazarus-like resurrection of a coronavirus patient who was supposedly saved by the drug. Trump did not provide any other specifics on this individual, and could very well have been talking about the purported Lenox Hill patient, seeing as the president is a vociferous consumer of Fox News primetime shows like Ingraham’s.And after Gregory Rigano—a lawyer who misleadingly claimed he was an adviser to Stanford Medical School—made several appearances on Fox News this month hyping a small French study’s findings on hydroxychloroquine, the president eventually touted the drug’s possible game-changing impact during his March 19 press briefing.The White House is also currently evaluating a plan pushed by a conspiracy-peddling family doctor who claimed he has successfully treated hundreds of coronavirus patients with the anti-malarial drug. Incoming White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows reportedly reached out to Dr. Vladmir Zelenko after Fox News host Sean Hannity touted his findings in an interview with Vice President Mike Pence, prompting Trump to flag the segment for his aides.The study that Fox News and Trump have cited to promote chloroquine’s effectiveness, meanwhile, has come under criticism from health experts for having severe limitations. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert and a member of the White House coronavirus task force, has urged caution to those boosting the drug as a solution to the pandemic, pointing out that evidence of its efficacy is only “anecdotal” and saying more clinical trials are needed.Last week, the administration said that the FDA was approving “off-label” use of the drug for coronavirus patients and clinical trials have started nationwide, including in the hard-hit New York area, in order to study the drug’s effectiveness. The CDC, however, currently notes that there’s “no currently available data from Randomized Clinical Trials (RCTs) to inform clinical guidance on the use, dosing, or duration of hydroxychloroquine for prophylaxis or treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.”Fox Business Ditches Trish Regan After Coronavirus ‘Impeachment Scam’ RantRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Rep. Maxine Waters accused President Trump of ignoring early coronavirus warnings and suggested he’s “gotten away with a lot of lying.”
The fact that the first part of that sentence is a complete lie is an irony that apparently escapes the California Democrat.
“The early notifications I’m told were ignored,” Waters said during a weekend interview with MSNBC.
Accuses Trump of Lying
Waters then accused the President of lying regarding his implementation of the Defense Production Act.
“I know that the president has gotten away with a lot of lying about what is going to happen with the Defense Act, and he said that he was going to, first of all, invoke it. He did not,” she claimed.
“He waited until the heat was on him, and then he lied on some of the big businesses that he said he had an agreement with that he really didn’t have.”
These are the same people who couldn’t stomach the thought of the President invoking various war powers acts for the last three years, now demanding he does just that.
Trump invoked the Defense Production Act on Friday, compelling General Motors to start making ventilators.
Waters’ comments are in line with those she made weeks ago when she called the President of the United States a “liar” and suggested he should shut his mouth on the coronavirus crisis.
“It’s been said over and over again that you cannot trust this president. Not only is he a liar, he does not believe in anything scientific,” she claimed without evidence. “So the President of the United States cannot be relied upon. Someone said he needs to be quiet, he needs to shut his mouth.”
First, she says he needs to keep his mouth shut, then complains that he hasn’t said or done enough.
Rep. Maxine Waters: “The President of the United States cannot be relied upon. Someone said he needs to be quiet, he needs to shut his mouth.” pic.twitter.com/OZIAKlhJXa
It’s never a good idea to accuse somebody of lying while simultaneously doing the same thing.
As we’ve noted, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has repeatedly credited President Trump with saving countless lives through swift action at the very beginning.
Travel restrictions implemented by the administration in late January helped limit the spread of the virus.
What were Waters and her fellow Democrats focused on at that time? The impeachment sham.
Aside from that, she also blamed President Trump for a lack of respirators.
Our hospitals are out of gloves, masks, gowns, respirators, protective shoe coverings, and basic supplies! What the hell more is Trump waiting for? Hey stupid, this is the worst case scenario!
The reality, however, is that it was the Obama-Biden administration that failed to replenish those supplies.
In 2009, the H1N1 swine flu pandemic triggered a massive deployment of respirators and masks.
But the Obama administration never set about replenishing the stockpile, despite warnings from multiple experts and a 2010 report funded by the federal government recommending the repository of masks be restocked for a future pandemic.
“In hindsight, it appears to be shortsighted,” said the senior director of public health preparedness for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
President Donald Trump slammed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a “sick puppy” following comments she made suggesting his actions in dealing with the coronavirus crisis have been “deadly.”
The President responded to Pelosi’s attack during a phone interview with Fox & Friends Monday morning.
“She’s got a lot of problems and that’s a horrible thing to say,” Trump fumed, before noting that it was his actions very early on that saved lives.
“I stopped some very, very infected, very, very sick people, thousands coming in from China, long earlier than anybody thought, including the experts, nobody thought we should do it except me,” he insisted.
Sick Puppy
Pelosi, in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper this weekend, compared President Trump to the Roman Emperor Nero and implied that Democrats might embark on another investigation of his actions.
“What did he know and when did he know it?” Pelosi asked. “That’s for an after-action review. But as the president fiddles, people are dying.”
She also suggested, despite evidence to the contrary, that Trump’s “denial at the beginning, was deadly.”
Trump on Monday said, “She’s a sick puppy in my opinion.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the President downplaying the severity of coronavirus is “deadly.”
The President responded to the suggestion that an investigation might be forthcoming by reminding viewers that Democrats were focusing on the impeachment sham when word of the coronavirus spreading to the United States was starting to hit.
“There’s something wrong with the woman,” he understated. “She focused on impeachment, and she lost, and she looked like a fool.”
Trump concluded by insinuating Pelosi is “a disgrace to her country [and] her family.”
Trump calls Nancy Pelosi “a sick puppy” for criticizing his pandemic response, and claims that he saved America from “deaths like you have never seen before.” He also calls Pelosi’s comments “a disgrace to her country [and] her family.” pic.twitter.com/dF31aQDksD
During the Fox & Friends interview, President Trump pointed out that Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has repeatedly credited him with saving countless lives through swift action.
One of the key actions necessary to control the spread of the virus, Fauci explained, is to “contain the influx of people who are infected coming from the outside.”
Thank you, @seanhannity, for allowing me to come on the show tonight from Amarillo, Texas, and talk about how @realDonaldTrump continues to ensure the safety and security of all Americans as he leads us out of this crisis. pic.twitter.com/fmb1VX9bbK
