List: Media's Original Take on Travel Bans Abandoned Common Sense for Trump Hate
While the mainstream media is currently blasting President Donald Trump for allegedly not acting aggressively enough in handling the Wuhan coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, many correspondents were singing a different tune not so long ago.
In fact, they were critical of the aggressive actions Trump was taking around the end of January, including the Jan. 31 ban on travelers from China and quarantines ordered for U.S. citizens returning from China.
But you do not need to take our word for it.
Lyndsey Fifield, social media manager for the Heritage Foundation, has made a little list on Twitter.
For example, she notes that a New York Times report from Jan. 31 paraphrased Dr. Michael T. Osterholm, an epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota, as calling the ban and quarantine measures “an emotional or political reaction.”
Took a break to read back and see how the media covered Trump’s 1/31 announcement barring entry into the U.S. from China and HOO BOY…
Many in the scientific community beclowned themselves because their hatred for Trump blinded them—and does to this day. pic.twitter.com/QjF8zfkCB0
— Lyndsey Fifield (@lyndseyfifield) March 19, 2020
Fifield then followed with a look at the Washington Post’s coverage of Trump’s order.
A Jan. 31 report in The Washington Post quoted a Twitter post by the Foreign Ministry of the People’s Republic of China, which whined, “In disregard of WHO recommendation against travel restrictions, the US went the opposite way.”
The whinefest continued with the Chinese spokesman asking, “Where’s the empathy?”
Holy crap—flashback to @wapo quoting the Chinese FM slamming the Trump administration’s 1/31 travel ban AND noting that WHO (still operating under Chinese disinformation about #COVID19) was against Trump’s move to stop entry into the US from China. pic.twitter.com/kkHfgwrv4Y
— Lyndsey Fifield (@lyndseyfifield) March 19, 2020
Given what we now know about the cover-up the People’s Republic of China carried out, awe wonder if the Washington Post and New York Times would like to ask the Chinese some tough questions.
Next in line for some tough questions, of course, is the World Health Organization, which is credibly accused of ignoring warnings from Taiwan in December potential human-to-human transmission of COVID-19.
But wait, there’s more, as legendary pitchman Billy Mays would say.
Fifield then pulled up a piece from Statnews.com, a site focusing on medical and health news.
All that site did, in its Jan. 31 article, was claim the president was listening to “conservative lawmakers and far right supporters” rather than public health experts. The piece was headlined “Health experts warn China travel ban will hinder coronavirus response.”
You. Guys.
The travel ban to China was driven by
“conservative lawmakers and far-right supporters of the president. Public health experts, however, warn that the move could do more harm than good.” pic.twitter.com/fHqXqyJKuE— Lyndsey Fifield (@lyndseyfifield) March 19, 2020
Looking at what we are dealing with today, who do you think was right?
Reasonable people who not only look at what was said back then, but who also think about what else was reported about the way the People’s Republic of China tried to hide the outbreak, might wonder if a large part of the media is more interested in getting Trump than actually reporting the facts.
Far too often, they are being more critical of the administration calling out China than they are interested in explaining just how this outbreak got so bad.
Would they really let Beijing off the hook to beat Trump, after that regime’s negligence has wrecked the economy and left people sick — or dead?
It’s not a nice thought to think, but when it comes to mainstream media hypocrisy, can we really afford to not trust what our eyes are seeing and what our ears are hearing?
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