President Trump drew the ire of the CBS Evening News and White House correspondent Weijia Jiang on Monday for daring to keep American spirits up, and letting them know there was “light at the end of the tunnel.” Citing unnamed “experts,” Jiang decried Trump’s optimism by claiming the country wasn’t even in the tunnel yet.
A swing and a miss. The failed rebuke of the common idiom made no sense since not being in a tunnel essentially meant the country wasn’t going through a crisis at all.
Despite the fact that we already knew and expected the pandemic to stretch resources thin, anchor Norah O’Donnell seemed astounded by an inspector general’s report documenting it. “And back here at home, a new report from the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services finds the U.S. health system under extreme strain, plagued by shortages and burned-out medical professionals. And that report is putting the White House on the defensive,” she touted.
It’s worth noting that, since late March, O’Donnell has refused to report how the President had rallied American companies to convert their production lines in order to make the needed equipment.
“Norah, we will get to that, but first today President Trump insisted that all 50 governors are happy with his administration's response and said again there is ‘light at the end of the tunnel.’ But some of his own health experts say we're not even in the tunnel,” Jiang bitterly declared.
In addition to using unnamed “experts” here, Jiang had previously made unsubstantiated claims that White House staffers had used the phrase “Kung Flu” to describe the Wuhan Virus and to insult her. She has refused to name the alleged people involved, which prompted many to mock her with comparisons to disgraced actor Jussie Smollett.
Despite the fact that supplies were getting to the places that needed them, Jiang harped on two unfortunate supply slip-ups from back in March:
But a scathing new report reveals hospitals nationwide are already struggling with widespread shortages of critical equipment. One received two shipments of protective gear from FEMA that had expired ten years ago. Another got 1,000 masks, half of which were for children and unusable for adult staff. Hospitals, according to the report, are bracing for systems to be overwhelmed by the expected surge. New York is already there.
While they were slamming Trump for being optimistic, O’Donnell allowed herself that apparent luxury. Shortly after Jiang’s report, O’Donnell was speaking with Surgeon General Jerome Adams when she asked: “Does that mean if we're beginning to see the flattening of the curve that we may not reach that projected number of some 100,000 deaths?”
Judging by how they conducted themselves, CBS News journalists thought of themselves as the gatekeepers of optimism in a time of crisis. And if they had their way, this President would only be allowed to be depressing.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CBS Evening News
April 6, 2020
6:40:44 p.m. EasternNORAH O’DONNELL: And back here at home, a new report from the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services finds the U.S. health system under extreme strain, plagued by shortages and burned-out medical professionals. And that report is putting the White House on the defensive. Weijia Jiang is there tonight. Weijia?
WIEJIA JIANG: Norah, we will get to that, but first today President Trump insisted that all 50 governors are happy with his administration's response and said again there is “light at the end of the tunnel.” But some of his own health experts say we're not even in the tunnel, and this week could be our Pearl Harbor or 9/11 moment.
[Cuts to Video]
The administration's grim predictions have led to more criticism and left President Trump on the defensive.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: The states seem to be very happy. If they're not, they can call me directly. They can call Mike directly, and we'll make them happy. But tremendous progress has been made in a very short period.
JIANG: But a scathing new report reveals hospitals nationwide are already struggling with widespread shortages of critical equipment. One received two shipments of protective gear from FEMA that had expired ten years ago. Another got 1,000 masks, half of which were for children and unusable for adult staff. Hospitals, according to the report, are bracing for systems to be overwhelmed by the expected surge. New York is already there.
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): We are into the plan B, C, D that we outlined.
JIANG: Tonight, acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modley is fueling another controversy, his decision to fire the popular commanding officer of the U.S.S. Roosevelt, Captain Brett Crozier, for warning in a letter the virus was spreading on board. In a leaked audio recording obtained by CBS News, Modley tears into Crozier, who has since tested positive.
THOMAS MODLEY (Acting Secretary of the Navy): He was, A, too naive or too stupid to be the commanding officer of a ship like this. The alternative is he did it on purpose.
[Cuts back to live]
JIANG: Tonight President Trump said that report about all those shortages is wrong and demanded to know the name of the HHS inspector general who put it together. He also revealed former Vice President Joe Biden called him to talk about the pandemic and described that conversation as warm and friendly. Norah?
O’DONNELL: Thank you, Weijia.
