On Wednesday’s New Day, CNN co-hosts John Berman and Alisyn Camerota brought on former Democratic presidential candidate and CNN political commentator Andrew Yang to bash President Trump and campaign for Joe Biden -- though viewers could have easily mistaken all three of them for washed-up Democratic politicians. Spurred on by his media allies, Yang celebrated Biden’s lead in the polls and launched a partisan attack on the Republican plan for the new coronavirus stimulus package.
Camerota began with self-righteous pearl clutching over Trump’s use of the term “China virus” to refer to COVID-19: "The President doesn't refer to it in the vernacular that most people in the country, doctors included, refer to it COVID-19 or coronavirus. Why do you think he is branding it as the China virus?"
This is what CNN calls news now? Honestly, who cares what Trump calls the virus? CNN hypes how awful the pandemic is every day, and then spends its time worrying about derivative things such as this. This is also pure hypocrisy from the Democratic hack. CNN used the terms “China’s coronavirus” and “Wuhan virus” throughout February and March.
Yang then proceeded to bash Trump’s response to the virus:
Well he's hoping he can distract the American public from his administration's epic mishandling of the coronavirus crisis and the fact is now a clear majority of Americans, including a growing proportion of Republicans, disapprove of how he's handled it. And so he's going to his playbook and saying, look, if I can distract the American people and use inflammatory or divisive rhetoric, maybe they'll ignore the fact that we have unfortunately now become the singular example of a developed country that’s suffering at higher levels from the coronavirus than any other country in the world.
Berman and Yang continued to focus on Trump’s terminology for the virus:
BERMAN: Yeah, I mean, there were those who were saying he changed his tone. Certainly didn't change his tone on trying to divide on that type of language, which there are many people who look at as racist, Andrew.
YANG: Yeah, as an Asian-American who sensed this surge in hostility against Asian-Americans, it's really damaging, it’s destructive, it’s heartbreaking. I have friends who don't want to go out in public because of the hostility that the President is unfortunately encouraging.
This was rich coming from Yang, who has endorsed Biden. Biden has been infamously insensitive towards Asian-Americans. Biden has claimed that the only reason that Japanese women are employed is that Japanese men are so xenophobic that they would rather have their women work than foreigners. He also once asked a group of Asian-American women if their “husbands like you working full-time?”
Yang then celebrated Biden’s lead in the polls: "So he's clearly just trying to brand it a particular way for his political expedience. I'm happy to say it does not seem to be working at all and you’re seeing now in the poll numbers -- you’re seeing the fact that -- that at this point Joe has built a double digit lead."
Camerota urged Yang to dismiss Republican concerns about the massive government spending and allowed to shamelessly lobby for the Democratic stimulus plan:
CAMEROTA: I mean, as you know, Republicans are really even within their own ranks struggling with how much relief and stimulus, et cetera, to give. It goes against their -- you know, stated philosophy that they have thrown out about being, you know, deficit hawks and all that stuff. And so coming right up is that $600 supplemental uninsurance money that people have been getting. It's going to expire this month. And you hear some Republicans saying that -- that they’re -- they don't want to renew it, they're uncomfortable with it because was more money than people were sometimes making when they had paychecks. So what's the response to that?
YANG: But economists who have looked at it say there are three things that this bill should be built around. Number one is direct cash relief to people. Number two, benefits that help people who don't have a job. So this is a -- a -- one reason why the payroll tax is a terrible idea. And number three, direct cash to states because right now, many states around the country are having huge budget short falls and the last thing you need are more layoffs in the midst of this pandemic.
Those silly Republicans, wanting to spend less after passing a bill that could add nearly as much as $6 trillion to the national debt.
CNN is no longer a news network, it just spouts propaganda for Democratic policies and candidates.
This DNC-TV was brought to viewers by Liberty Mutual. Let them know here if you think they should be sponsoring this content.
Read the full July 22nd transcript here:
CNN's New Day
07/22/20
8:26:32 a.m. EasternALISYN CAMEROTA: President Trump took a more serious tone yesterday about the pandemic that is gripping the U.S. And much of the world. This was during the conference on coronavirus, but the President still managed to work in his preferred name for it.
[Cuts to video]
DONALD TRUMP: Today I want to provide an update on our response to the China virus. The China virus is a vicious and dangerous illness. The median age of those who succumb to the China virus is 78 years old. If you watch American television, you'd think that the United States was the only country involved with and suffering from the China virus.
[Cuts to live]
CAMEROTA: Joining us now is CNN political commentator and former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang. Andrew, great to see you. The President doesn't refer to it in the vernacular that most people in the country, doctors included, refer to it COVID-19 or coronavirus. Why do you think he is branding it as the China virus?
ANDREW YANG: Well he's hoping he can distract the American public from his administration's epic mishandling of the coronavirus crisis and the fact is now a clear majority of Americans, including a growing proportion of Republicans, disapprove of how he's handled it. And so he's going to his playbook and saying, look, if I can distract the American people and use inflammatory or divisive rhetoric, maybe they'll ignore the fact that we have unfortunately now become the singular example of a developed country that’s suffering at higher levels from the coronavirus than any other country in the world.
JOHN BERMAN: Yeah, I mean, there were those who were saying he changed his tone. Certainly didn't change his tone on trying to divide on that type of language, which there are many people who look at as racist, Andrew.
YANG: Yeah, as an Asian-American who sensed this surge in hostility against Asian-Americans, it's really damaging, it’s destructive, it’s heartbreaking. I have friends who don't want to go out in public because of the hostility that the President is unfortunately encouraging.
CAMEROTA: God, that is -- that is really heartbreaking to here Andrew. But you know, I mean, what his press secretary I think has said is they're just following in the long line of history of naming a virus after, you know, where it comes from. We’ve called -- we call 1918 the Spanish flu. Ebola is named for a river near its origin. What's your response to that?
YANG: Oh, it -- it's factually incorrect. It's not like the Spanish flu even originated in Spain, and any health expert will say that we should be naming this by its technical name, COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus. So he's clearly just trying to brand it a particular way for his political expedience. I'm happy to say it does not seem to be working at all and you’re seeing now in the poll numbers -- you’re seeing the fact that -- that at this point Joe has built a double digit lead.
BERMAN: I want to ask you about the discussions happening on Capitol Hill right now in terms of new stimulus getting money in people's pockets. We of course are you asking you because you are perhaps the best known champion of a universal basic income. You want to give Americans $1,000 a month across the board. There talking about something different. One of the things the President wants is a payroll tax cut. What are the limitations of that in terms of what you would like to see?
YANG: Economists who have looked at it are nearly unanimous or unanimous in saying a payroll tax cut is not the way to go. It puts a little bit more money into the hands of folks who have jobs, which is not the core problem right now. The core problem is that you have tens of millions of Americans who don't know where the next paycheck’s going to come from. So we need to have stimulus checks that go directly to the American people and 80% of Americans including the vast majority of Republicans want cash relief. They got the $1,200 last time, they loved it. It helped keep the -- the groceries on the table and pay that month's rent. So that's the way economists want this next stimulus to go. That's the way the American people want the stimulus to go. That's the way Republican Senators even want the stimulus to go. And I hope that reason will prevail and we’ll see cash relief be a huge component, the central component of this next relief bill.
CAMEROTA: I mean, as you know, Republicans are really even within their own ranks struggling with how much relief and stimulus, et cetera, to give. It goes against their -- you know, stated philosophy that they have thrown out about being, you know, deficit hawks and all that stuff. And so coming right up is that $600 supplemental uninsurance money that people have been getting. It's going to expire this month. And you hear some Republicans saying that -- that they’re -- they don't want to renew it, they're uncomfortable with it because was more money than people were sometimes making when they had paychecks. So what's the response to that?
YANG: Well that’s the great thing about direct cash relief is that if you put money into people's hands and it's unconditional, then if they go out and get a shift or get some more hours, then that is more money for them. And so there's no disincentive. But economists who have looked at it say there are three things that this bill should be built around. Number one is direct cash relief to people. Number two, benefits that help people who don't have a job. So this is a -- a -- one reason why the payroll tax is a terrible idea. And number three, direct cash to states because right now, many states around the country are having huge budget short falls and the last thing you need are more layoffs in the midst of this pandemic.
