In an interview with Vice President Mike Pence, aired during Sunday’s Meet the Press, NBC host Chuck Todd grew extremely irate and combative when addressing how President Trump’s allies were calling out his colleagues on the left for politicizing the coronavirus (COVID-19). After demanding Pence show him evidence of their politicization, Todd refused to hear more than one example and tried to make the pushback from the right the problem.
Todd admitted that Pence had “made every effort, every statement” not to make the situation political, yet demanded that he now answer for comments made by conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, RNC chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel, and Donald Trump Jr., where they blasted those on the left for politicizing the virus.
“None of this seems to match the facts. What facts are there that Democrats are doing this,” Todd demanded to know. “It seems like people are asking questions and are concerned about the virus. This implies some sort of political motivation, which is kind of gross.”
It was gross and Todd himself was pretty dirty. Just last week, Todd taunted the President on COVID-19 by declaring he’ll “reap what he sows” when it came to trusting in our institutions. Speaking of gaslighting, just prior to airing his interview with Pence, Todd continued to spread the left-wing lie that Trump had called the virus a “hoax”:
This weekend the President blamed Democrats and the media for exaggerating the threat, at one point calling the virus their new hoax at a rally on Friday night. On Saturday, he tried to explain what he meant.
Just as Pence began to explain how “there's been a lot of irresponsible rhetoric among Democrats and commentators on the left,” Todd immediately began to talk over his guest. “Who, who is this? Name some names, sir. Because this is just – it just feels like gaslighting. Please name some names. I’m – I’m -- We're all big people here. Name some names,” Todd stumbled in his anger.
“There was a column in The New York Times by a prominent liberal journalist that said we should rename it the ‘Trumpvirus,’” Pence noted.
When faced with the facts, Todd popped his top and refused to hear more of the evidence he demanded to see:
TODD (Speaking over Pence): Okay, that—that is – Does that apply – Does that apply to all people?
PENCE: So that the President would be blamed. Chuck, this virus began in China.
[Crosstalk]
TODD: This doesn't help. This does not help us. No?
If Todd wanted evidence of the left politicizing COVID-19, he didn’t have to look any further than the NewsBusters coronavirus tag. There he can see how his network had tried to stoke fear of Pence leading the COVID-19 task force assigned to deal with the threat. There are also examples of his network competitors boosting Democratic politicization of the virus.
What Todd had a problem with on Sunday, was the right calling them out. “Do you think this rhetoric from your side helps?”
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
NBC’s Meet the Press
March 1, 2020
11:02:24 a.m. Eastern(…)
CHUCK TODD: And now the first American on U.S. soil, a man in his 50s in Washington State who had underlying health conditions. Uncertainty is already taking a toll on the economy. The Dow had its worst week since the 2008 financial crisis, plummeting 12 percent for the week. This weekend the President blamed Democrats and the media for exaggerating the threat, at one point calling the virus their new hoax at a rally on Friday night. On Saturday, he tried to explain what he meant.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: The hoax referring to the action that they take to try to pin this on somebody, because we've done such a good job. The hoax is on them.
(…)
11:08:41 a.m. Eastern
TODD: You've gone out of your way, since you've been appointed to this, to say – to try to keep this from getting politicized. You have made every effort, every statement. But I want to play for you what some of your allies have said about the coronavirus. Here's including the President's son and the RNC chair. Take a listen, sir.
RUSH LIMBAUGH: The coronavirus is being weaponized as yet another element to bring down Donald Trump.
RONNA ROMNEY MCDANIEL: (RNC chairwoman): Democrats are using this for their political gain, to try to stoke fear in the American people, which is shameful, wrong, and I think un-American.
DONALD TRUMP JR.: For them to try to take a pandemic and seemingly hope that it comes here and kills millions of people so that they could ending Donald Trump's streak of winning is a new level of sickness.
TODD: None of this seems to match the facts. What facts are there that Democrats are doing this? It seems like people are asking questions and are concerned about the virus. This implies some sort of political motivation, which is kind of gross.
VP MIKE PENCE: Well, I will tell you there's been a lot of irresponsible rhetoric among Democrats and commentators on the left.
TODD (Speaking over Pence): Who, who is this? Name some names, sir. Because this is just – it just feels like gaslighting. Please name some names. I’m – I’m -- We're all big people here. Name some names.
PENCE: There was a column in The New York Times by a prominent liberal journalist that said we should rename it the “Trumpvirus.”
TODD (Speaking over Pence): Okay, that—that is – Does that apply – Does that apply to all people?
PENCE: So that the President would be blamed. Chuck, this virus began in China.
[Crosstalk]
TODD: This doesn't help. This does not help us. No?
PENCE: The President took decisive action to protect the American people, and when you see voices on our side pushing back on outrageous and irresponsible rhetoric on the other side, I think that's important --
TODD (Cutting off Pence): Do you think this rhetoric from your side helps?
PENCE: I never begrudge people responding to unwarranted, unjustified attacks. But I promise you, we are going to continue to focus on the mission the President has given this task force and given this government, and that is we're going to bring the full resources of the federal government to bear.
(…)
