Liberal media elites sure don’t seem to have a problem with life-crippling stay-at-home orders stretching through 2020 into 2021 and 2022, do they? On Friday’s Situation Room, CNN host Wolf Blitzer and chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta griped about how President Trump would not only acknowledge the mental toll that they’ve taken on the American people, but not denouncing those voicing their displeasure in various state capitals.
So while Americans fight depression, feel socially isolated, have their pay slashed, or suffer job losses, two prominent CNNers spun your outrage as a deadly mistake. And while Acosta was at it, he covered for liberals holding up the replenishment of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) by deeming it a problem caused by both sides.
An irked Blitzer tossed to Acosta at 5:01 p.m. Eastern: “Jim, there doesn't appear to be social distancing or other safety measures at these protests against the stay-at-home orders we’re at various places around the country, but the President is actually encouraging them.”
Predictably, Acosta agreed and boasted that “President Trump appears to be stoking unrest in states around the U.S. where conservative demonstrators are protesting against social distancing measures.”
He added seconds later that “Trump is stirring up his supporters with organized Tea Party-like protests to lash out against social distancing measures” as if to portray people who don’t think like CNN as mindless mules acting out of an edict than voicing their individual displeasures with some of the measures in their states that have wreaked havoc on their livelihoods.
Acosta’s smugness dragged on as he fretted that Trump would dare offer this “show of sympathy for the protesters” on Thursday: “It's been a tough process for people, you know, I told you this, there's death and problems in staying at home too, it's not just, isn't it wonderful to stay at home. They’re having --- they're suffering.”
Absolutely disgusting.
Just imagine living a life where acknowledging what Americans are going through triggers unanimous complaints and arguing Trump’s “LIBERATE” tweets (albeit unhelpful in many circles) “point to his own shortcomings in responding to the coronavirus.” A sad life indeed.
On the back end of his report, Acosta reveled in Trump’s approval rating taking a tumble and spun for lefties holding up a replenishment of the PPP (click “expand”):
ACOSTA: With a new Gallup poll finding only 43 percent of Americans approve of the President's handling of the coronavirus down six points from last month, Mr. Trump is also passing the buck on the money drying up in the government’s Paycheck Protection Program, tweeting at congressional Democrats who have left Washington: End your ENDLESS VACATIONS." But hold on, Republican lawmakers have gone home too.
HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): The truth is we didn't have proper testing available in March despite his repeatedly claiming that we did and even now, we don't have adequate tests, masks, PPE, and necessary equipment, which creates unnecessary death and suffering.
ACOSTA: The President is also pointing the finger at the World Health Organization and China, despite his past praise of the WHO, not to mention all the times he touted his close relationship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
At the top of the next hour, Acosta gave a condensed version of his report in a liveshot, grumbling that “[i]t sounds like the President wants to start his own Resistance movement.”
Reiterating his “Tea Party-like protests” line, Acosta had another opportunity to even attempt to understand what some are feeling as this largely nationwide shutdown drags into a second month.
But of course, Acosta doubled down: “Now, the President was echoing some of the sympathy he was showing to the protesters just yesterday during that briefing when he said social distancing has been a tough process for some people.”
To see the relevant transcript from CNN’s The Situation Room on April 17, click “expand.”
CNN’s The Situation Room
April 17, 2020
5:01 p.m. EasternWOLF BLITZER: Jim, there doesn't appear to be social distancing or other safety measures at these protests against the stay-at-home orders we’re at various places around the country, but the President is actually encouraging them.
JIM ACOSTA: That's right, Wolf. President Trump appears to be stoking unrest in states around the U.S. where conservative demonstrators are protesting against social distancing measures. The President is tweeting his supporters to “liberate” like Minnesota, Michigan, and Virginia, one day after he told the governors they were calling the shots on reopening the country. One day after the President told governors around the U.S. they were taking the lead in opening up their States –
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP [on 04/16/20]: It's going to be up to the governors. [SCREEN WIPE] We are not opening all at once. But one careful step at a time.
ACOSTA: -- Mr. Trump is stirring up his supporters with organized Tea Party-like protests to lash out against social distancing measures.
SANDRA SMITH [on FNC’s America’s Newsroom]: New protests over stay-at-home orders the Midwest.
ACOSTA: Just minutes after a Fox News report on the protesters, the President began tweeting, “LIBERATE MINNESOTA,” “LIBERATE MICHIGAN,” and “LIBERATE VIRGINIA,” states with Democratic governors, echoing his show of sympathy for the protesters less than 24 hours earlier.
TRUMP [on 04/16/20]: It's been a tough process for people, you know, I told you this, there's death and problems in staying at home too, it's not just, isn't it wonderful to stay at home. They’re having --- they're suffering.
ACOSTA: Virginia's governor, Ralph Northam, says he's not taking the President's bait.
GOVERNOR RALPH NORTHAM (D-VA): I will not involve myself in Twitter wars. I will continue to make sure I'm doing everything I can to keep Virginians safe and save lives.
ACOSTA: The President's tweets also point to his own shortcomings in responding to the coronavirus.
(….)
5:04 p.m. Eastern
ACOSTA: With a new Gallup poll finding only 43 percent of Americans approve of the President's handling of the coronavirus down six points from last month, Mr. Trump is also passing the buck on the money drying up in the government’s Paycheck Protection Program, tweeting at congressional Democrats who have left Washington: End your ENDLESS VACATIONS." But hold on, Republican lawmakers have gone home too.
HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): The truth is we didn't have proper testing available in March despite his repeatedly claiming that we did and even now, we don't have adequate tests, masks, PPE, and necessary equipment, which creates unnecessary death and suffering.
ACOSTA: The President is also pointing the finger at the World Health Organization and China, despite his past praise of the WHO, not to mention all the times he touted his close relationship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
TRUMP [on 02/27/20]: We're in very constant communication, President Xi and myself. Very, very constant.
ACOSTA: Now, there appears to be some recognition among some on the President's political team that these political attacks in middle of a pandemic are troublesome and have the potential to backfire. As one Trump adviser told me earlier this week, the country has had candidate Trump during this crisis, not President Trump.
(….)
6:00 p.m. Eastern
BLITZER: Jim, what? Only about 24 hours ago, the President said the governors would be calling the shots. Now, he’s taking some potshots. What’s going on?
ACOSTA: Ah, yes, Wolf. It sounds like the President wants to start his own Resistance movement. It was just 24 hours ago when the President told the governors around the U.S. they were taking the lead in opening up their states, saying they would call the shots, adding that the country would not open up all at once, but, quote, one step --- “one careful step at a time.” Now Mr. Trump is stirring up his supporters who have organized Tea Party-like protests around the country to lash out against some of these social distancing measures. Just minutes after a Fox News report on the demonstrations earlier today, the President again tweeting, we can show you some of these tweets. They read, “LIBERATE MINNESOTA, “LIBERATE MICHIGAN,” and “LIBERATE VIRGINIA.” No surprise these are states with Democratic governors. Now, the President was echoing some of the sympathy he was showing to the protesters just yesterday during that briefing when he said social distancing has been a tough process for some people.
