One overarching theme of the 2020 media campaign against Donald Trump is their willingness to present almost everything Joe Biden says as True, and not worth challenging. For example, Biden routinely says in speeches that Trump has “surrendered, waved the white flag” on fighting the coronavirus pandemic, “and has left the field.”
Is that true in any way? Has the Trump administration closed up shop and abandoned any effort to track, contain, and defeat the virus? No. That could be called "Pants On Fire." But the fact checkers are missing, and Biden stenographers like CNN’s Arlette Saenz just present it like they were publicists on the Biden campaign staff. Take this report from New Day on July 1.
ARLETTE SAENZ: Well, Joe Biden's overarching message was that President Trump has failed when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic. He implored the president to do more, while also releasing his own updated plan with how to tackle this crisis.
And as Biden has returned to public appearances over the past few -- over the past month, his events have been limited to small, invite-only events. But as he took questions from his press corps, for the first time in the past nearly three months, Biden took aim at his general election opponent, saying he can hardly wait to debate Trump this fall.
BIDEN: And it seems like our wartime president has surrendered, waved the white flag -- the white flag, and left the battlefield.
There’s no space or time for rebuttal. On screen, they spread the fake news: "BIDEN SLAMS TRUMP: 'OUR WARTIME PRESIDENT HAS SURRENDERED'".
There were only more soundbites:
SAENZ: Joe Biden issuing a harsh assessment of President Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
BIDEN: Month after month, as other leaders in other countries took the necessary steps to get the virus under control, Donald Trump failed us.
SAENZ: In a blistering speech in Wilmington, Delaware, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee blamed Trump, saying the country is hardly better off than it was in March.
BIDEN: How are we this many months into this, and still -- still -- don't have what we need? You know, the steps you've taken so far haven't gotten the job done, Mr. President. Fix the shortage of PPE for our healthcare workers before you tee off another round of golf.
That’s rich – Obama’s vice president mocking Trump for playing golf.
In all, Saenz ran seven soundbites from Biden adding up to 79 seconds, most of that from his opening remarks on the coronavirus. Oddly, Saenz and CNN didn't show the questions she asked, but she described his answers to her at the end of her report. She asked Biden if he's been tested for coronavirus, and he said no. And he's shaming Trump about the virus?
This serving of false Biden hype was brought to you by OurTime (the over-50 dating site) and SoFi.
