On Friday, CNN’s Situation Room host Wolf Blitzer illustrated why, if he were still a journalist of decency, facts, and integrity, he wouldn’t have gone about an interview with New York Times columnist Tom Friedman the way he did. Instead, Blitzer wondered if President Trump would be to blame for deaths of Americans who have protested economically, mentally, and physically crippling stay-at-home orders.
And then it was Friedman’s turn to opine, Blitzer offered no pushback as China-loving writer decried the election of Trump as “the most reckless thing” Americans have ever “done in our history” whom he diagnosed as having a “mental illness.”
Roughly a half-hour after a despicable back-and-forth with carnival barker Jim Acosta in the previous half-hour, Blitzer went to Friedman with this repugnant question: “The President is egging on people who have been protesting state restrictions, sometimes in large, crowded groups. Is he potentially putting these people’s lives in danger?”
Friedman groaned that Trump’s “LIBERATE” tweets served as “just another reminder that in electing Donald J. Trump as President, the American people did the most reckless thing they've done in our history.” Again, no challenge from Blitzer.
No Trail of Tears? No Dread Scott Decision? No Japanese internment camps? Trump Derangement Syndrome is quite the conditions, folks.
Friedman continued that the President’s only two jobs should be “chief scientific officer” (which goes against the catchphrase of “listen to the scientists”) and “chief procurement officer,” but he’s failed in both.
“Fomenting revolutions in blue states with Democratic governors is only --- unhinged is the only word for it. It --- you know --- it --- I don't know what --- what mental illness he has, Wolf, but it's important that we in the press don't catch it, it's important that we continue to do our job,” Friedman added, engaging in CNN’s time-honored tradition of playing amateur psychologist.
Blitzer then lobbed a softball about how Trump must believe there’s “some sort of political benefit” in his tweets to protesters “even at a time when thousands of Americans are dying.”
If only Blitzer and his CNN colleagues could look in the mirror at their own actions.
Even though Blitzer didn’t rebut him, Friedman embarrassed himself seconds after he declared Trump mentally ill and the worst mistake Americans ever made. How? Well, he insisted that all Americans need to remember that “we are all in it together…and we all need to rise above politics.” Yikes.
Of course, Friedman went onto hail the approach that Germany has taken with the pandemic. In other words, Friedman lived up to the stereotype that he shows equal if not more infatuation with other countries than America and therefore just perfect for CNN.
To see the relevant transcript from CNN’s The Situation Room on April 17, click “expand.”
CNN’s The Situation Room
April 17, 2020
5:32 p.m. EasternWOLF BLITZER: The President is egging on people who have been protesting state restrictions, sometimes in large, crowded groups. Is he potentially putting these people’s lives in danger?
TOM FRIEDMAN: Well, Wolf, what the President did today is just another reminder that in electing Donald J. Trump as President, the American people did the most reckless thing they've done in our history. I think the governor of Washington state got it exactly right. It’s unhinged. The job of the President right now is to be the nation's chief scientific officer, tell us where we are, what's working where and secondly, to be the nation's chief procurement officer, get people the testing equipment they need if they are going to end sheltering in place restrictions over the next few weeks. Those are his only two jobs right now. Fomenting revolutions in blue states with Democratic governors is only --- unhinged is the only word for it. It --- you know --- it --- I don't know what --- what mental illness he has, Wolf, but it's important that we in the press don't catch it, it's important that we continue to do our job.
BLITZER: Well, so when he tweets as he did today, “LIBERATE MINNESOTA,” your home state, by the way, “LIBERATE MICHIGAN” ---
FRIEMAN: Yeah.
BLITZER: --- “liberate Virginia,” “save your great Second Amendment. It is under siege.” I assume he sees some sort of political benefit even at a time when thousands of Americans are dying.
FRIEDMAN: Yeah, I mean, the whole point about this moment is that we are all in it together, remember, I think he even said that once, and we all need to rise up above politics.
