The White House blew a gasket on Monday after CNN and MSNBC cut away from Donald Trump’s latest coronavirus briefing, which was arguably his most incoherent yet.
In a tweet, Judd Deere – special assistant to the president – called it “pretty disgraceful that @CNN and @MSNBC have both cut away from this @WhiteHouse briefing with @realDonaldTrump and @Mike_Pence during a global pandemic.”
Deere continued, presumably with a straight face, “Thank you to @FoxNews for keeping Americans informed.”
Pretty disgraceful that @CNN and @MSNBC have both cut away from this @WhiteHouse briefing with @realDonaldTrump and @Mike_Pence during a global pandemic. Thank you to @FoxNews for keeping Americans informed. #COVID19
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— Judd Deere (@JuddPDeere45) March 23, 2020
Networks have a responsibility to cut off Trump’s dangerous coronavirus briefings
The White House may not like that two cable news networks decided (finally) to cut off the president’s rambling coronavirus briefing, but it’s been evident for a long time that these events were doing more harm than good.
In fact during Monday’s briefing, Trump again suggested that a coronavirus treatment is in the works, even though the drug he named – chloroquine – has already killed one person and left another in critical condition.
What the president says matters. There are a lot of people listening who believe the hurricane of nonsense he spews, and it could have dire consequences.
CNN and MSNBC took a step in the right direction by cutting away from Donald Trump’s briefing on Monday, but they would be doing an even greater service to the American people if they stopped airing them altogether.
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Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
