Pierce: It's Time For Networks to Stop Televising Trump's Daily Briefings [View all]

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It's Time For Networks to Stop Televising Trump's Daily Briefings
They are only vehicles for dangerous disinformation and for the president*’s re-election campaign.

BY CHARLES P. PIERCE
MAR 20, 2020

This was certainly a moment on Friday, and, no, I’m not talking about how El Caudillo del Mar-a-Lago threw a multi-megaton hissy at Peter Alexander of NBC News, although that should disqualify him from ever appearing in polite society ever again, let alone representing the United States in any capacity except as referee in a celebrity mud-wrestling derby. I meant the lead up to that moment, when the president* decided to argue with Dr. Anthony Fauci about the use of chloroquine to combat the coronavirus.

Fauci: That evidence is anecdotal evidence. As the president mentioned yesterday, we are trying to strike a balance between making something that has potential of an effect available, at the same time we do it under protocol that would give us the information to determine if it is truly saving effective. But the information is anecdotal, it was not done in a clinical trial, so we cannot make a definitive statement about it.

Trump: Without saying too much, I am probably more of a fan of that than may be than anybody. But I am a big fan. We will see what happens. We understand what the doctor says is 100% correct, certainly. But I have seen things that are impressive. We will know soon. We will see. Including safety. But when you talk about safely, this has been prescribed for many years for people to combat malaria, which was a big problem. It is very effective. It is a strong drug. We will see...look, it may work, it may not work. I agree with the doctor. It may not work. But I feel good about it. That is all it is, just a feeling. You know, I am a smart guy. I feel good about it. We will see soon enough. We have big samples of people, if you look at the people. There are people in big trouble. This is not a drug that obviously I think I can speak for a lot of, from a lot of experience going because it has been out there for over 20 years. So it is not a drug that you have a huge amount of danger with. It is not a brand-new drug just created that may have a monumental effect, like kill you. We will know very soon. The FDA is working hard to get out. Right now in terms of malaria, if you want that you can get a prescription. By the way, it is very effective. It works. I have a feeling—I am not being optimistic or pessimistic. I think we should give it a try. There has been some interesting things that are happening. Some very good things. Let's see what happens. We have nothing to lose. You know that expression? What the hell do you have to lose?

You know, he’s a smart guy who has feelings so what do you have to lose? This, of course, just as well could be used to defend such therapeutic regimes as bleeding, boring for the simples, and voodoo. It is time for networks to stop televising the daily briefings from the Coronavirus SuperFriends live. They are vehicles for dangerous disinformation and for the president*’s re-election campaign. You get the sense that he’s getting juiced for them now that he can’t hold his mass rallies any more. But, mainly, people are told things at these briefings that at worst are perilously untrue. (Has he actually activated the Defense Production Act? Nobody seems sure.) And at best they provide false comfort for a nervous nation, which is what Alexander rightly was trying to get at when he served up that softball about frightened Americans. The president* responded by hitting himself repeatedly over the head with his bat. Somebody get the hook.

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a31822319/coronavirus-donald-trump-dr-fauci-press-briefing/