On Friday afternoon, MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell began her show by trying to correct President Donald Trump over his recent assertion that Dr. Tony Fauci and other government health experts had initially erred in March by advising the public against wearing masks, even though the President's recollection on the matter was correct.
Later on, Mitchell further bashed the President, calling his Border Security policies in dealing with illegal immigrant families "horrendous," and gushed over her colleague, Jacob Soboroff's biased reporting on the subject.
Teasing Andrea Mitchell Reports at noon Eastern, host Mitchell trumpeted:
The President today is challenging his own public health officials about whether schools can safely reopen and about public gatherings as the pandemic reaches crisis levels in key states. As evidence of the growing divide, the President openly criticizing Doctor Anthony Fauci on Fox last night.
Then came a couple of soundbites of the President from Thursday night's Hannity show on Fox News Channel:
Doctor Fauci is a nice man, but he's made a lot of mistakes. [SCREEN WIPE] A lot of them said, "Don't wear a mask -- don't wear a mask," and now they're saying, "Wear a mask." So a lot of mistakes were made.
The MSNBC host then insisted: "Of course that is not true, but, in fact, Fauci has told the Financial Times that he has not personally briefed the President in more than five weeks."
But, in fact, last month, Fauci recalled that the CDC initially deceived the public about wearing masks as a defense to COVID-19, trying to put them off from buying masks, as they were trying to reserve them for medical personnel.
It has been pointed out that the CDC could have advised the public to make their own masks instead of buying out those needed in the medical profession.
Later in the show, Mitchell brought aboard NBC News reporter Jacob Soboroff to make his latest of several appearances to promote his book attacking the Trump administration's border security policies, with Mitchell deriding the policies as "horrendous."
Introducing the segment with Soboroff, she gushed: "This is groundbreaking work, all our reporting -- all your original reporting in this book is extraordinary, so thank you for bringing this to us, to the public."
Later on she strongly recommended his book and went over the top in lauding his biased reporting again:
Jacob, your reporting is amazing. The book is Separated: Inside an American Tragedy -- and I cannot tell people -- if you care about children, if you care about your country, you have to read this book. Thank you so much, Jacob. Your reporting and your team -- Katy Tur, Julia Ainsley -- this is an amazing piece of work. Thank you.
This episode of Andrea Mitchell Reports was sponsored by Liberty Mutual and Otezla. Their contact information is linked.
Below is the relevant transcript (click "expand"):
MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports
July 10, 2020
12:00 p.m. EasternANDREA MITCHEL: Good day, everyone. I'm Andrea Mitchell in Washington where the President today is challenging his own public health officials about whether schools can safely reopen and about public gatherings as the pandemic reaches crisis levels in key states. As evidence of the growing divide, the President openly criticizing Doctor Anthony Fauci on Fox last night.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Doctor Fauci is a nice man, but he's made a lot of mistakes. [SCREEN WIPE] A lot of them said, "Don't wear a mask -- don't wear a mask," and now they're saying, "Wear a mask." So a lot of mistakes were made.
MITCHELL: Of course that is not true, but, in fact, Doctor Fauci has told the Financial Times that he has not personally briefed the President in more than five weeks.
(...)
12:39 p.m. Eastern
MITCHELL: It's been two years since the Trump administration began separating migrant children from their families, and the cruel practice still in place today, warehousing children and entire families despite the pandemic, which is also raging through these detention centers, effecting migrants and staff alike. In fact, nearly half the employees testing positive at one Arizona detention center where migrants are being held in lockdowns for as long as 24 hours without access to showers, to laundry, and to other necessities, according to an exclusive NBC report by Jacob Soboroff and Julia Ainsley.
The Trump administration told a federal judge this week also that it may continue splitting up families after another judge ordered the children to be released. Migrant advocates are telling The Washington Post ICE is giving parents an unacceptable choice: You either agree to the trauma of family separation to protect their children from COVID or to stay together at even greater risk.
Joining me now is NBC correspondent Jacob Soboroff who's been covering this crisis since it began two years ago. His new book is Separated: Inside an American Tragedy -- a detailed, graphic account of the Trump administration's horrendous policy of family separations. Jacob, first of all, this is groundbreaking work, all our reporting -- all your original reporting in this book is extraordinary, so thank you for bringing this to us, to the public.
(...)
12:46 p.m. Eastern
MITCHELL: Jacob, your reporting is amazing. The book is Separated: Inside an American Tragedy -- and I cannot tell people -- if you care about children, if you care about your country, you have to read this book. Thank you so much, Jacob. Your reporting and your team -- Katy Tur, Julia Ainsley … this is an amazing piece of work. Thank you.
