For the second evening in a row on Thursday, ABC’s World News Tonight (and this time NBC Nightly News) seemed intent on whipping the public into a state of fear with suggestions the Trump administration wasn’t adequately responding to the coronavirus (COVID-19) threat. NBC News even tried to shake public coincidence in Vice President Mike Pence’s leadership of the COVID-19 task force assigned to deal with the threat.
ABC special correspondent Kyra Phillips began her report by scoffing at the idea that President Trump had anything to tout when it came to how his administration was handling things. “As stocks swan-dive and coronavirus fears grow, President Trump today praising his administration's response, now being led by Vice President Mike Pence,” she said.
In order to put out cohesive messages to the public that don’t rile up unneeded panic, Pence had reportedly directed all agencies involved to funnel their information through his office. Of course, Phillips thought it was the perfect time to hint that there was some sort of nefarious intention at the center of the decision:
PHILLIPS: The Vice President, now moving to control what information gets to the public. According to senior White House sources, all statements about coronavirus from the CDC or the Health Department must now be vetted by the Vice President's office.
The CDC warning the coronavirus will spread, saying it's not a matter of if, but when. However, 24 hours ago, the President saying this --
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I don't think it's inevitable. I think that there's a chance that it could get worse. There's a chance it could get fairly substantially worse. But nothing is inevitable.
In soundbite of Trump that Phillips used there, he said there existed the possibility of the situation getting “fairly substantially worse.” So what was the problem, that he was trying to be measured and not stir up a panic? Phillips left that to the Democrats.
“The Senate's top Democrat says Trump isn't being straight with the American people,” she announced before playing this clip of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY): “The President must stop trying to minimize the nature of the coronavirus threat. His attempts at spinning the facts are just not credible, and they are harmful to the federal response.”
Over on NBC, chief White House correspondent Hallie Jackson was busy dredging up how then-Governor Pence had handled an HIV outbreak among heroin addicts in Indiana. “The Vice President has also come under fire for how he handled a spike in HIV cases in Indiana in 2015 when he was governor. Initially opposing a needle exchange program before backing one that slowed the outbreak weeks later.”
Of course, Jackson backed that up with a soundbite of Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) claiming Pence had allowed the outbreak to get worse because he “put politics over science.” There was no mention from Jackson that it’s a controversial idea to use taxpayer money to help people get high. And she concluded by hinting that the administration was more focused on the economic impact of COVID-19.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
February 27, 2020
6:38:43 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: And amid the fears and the financial concerns, the White House in the last 24 hours, the President announcing, Vice President Mike Pence is the new point person for the government's response, meeting with the intra-agency task force today. And one of the first moves, a new way of controlling what information reaches the public. On that tonight, ABC's Kyra Phillips.
[Cuts to video]
KYRA PHILLIPS: As stocks swan-dive and coronavirus fears grow, President Trump today praising his administration's response, now being led by Vice President Mike Pence.
VP MIKE PENCE: The President has no higher priority than the health and safety of the American people.
PHILLIPS: The Vice President, now moving to control what information gets to the public. According to senior White House sources, all statements about coronavirus from the CDC or the Health Department must now be vetted by the Vice President's office.
The CDC warning the coronavirus will spread, saying it's not a matter of if, but when. However, 24 hours ago, the President saying this --
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I don't think it's inevitable. I think that there's a chance that it could get worse. There's a chance it could get fairly substantially worse. But nothing is inevitable.
PHILLIPS: The Senate's top Democrat says Trump isn't being straight with the American people.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): The President must stop trying to minimize the nature of the coronavirus threat. His attempts at spinning the facts are just not credible, and they are harmful to the federal response.
[Cuts back to live]
MUIR: So, let's get to Kyra Phillips, with us live from the White House tonight. And Kyra, we know just moments ago, President Trump speaking on the coronavirus again and he said tonight that Democrats should be praising his response.
PHILLIPS: Exactly right, David. President Trump just now declaring that the administration's response has been incredible. According to pool reports, the President saying, quote, “it's going to disappear. One day, it will be like a miracle and go away.” David?
MUIR: All right, Kyra, thank you.
NBC Nightly News
February 27, 2020
7:04:37 p.m. EasternHALLIE JACKSON: I'm Hallie Jackson. A dramatic drop, nearly 1200 points, the most ever in a single day for the Dow in coronavirus crash mode, on pace for its worst week since 2008. Former Fed Chair Janet Yellen warning of a potential recession but adding:
JANET YELLEN: There is some risk but basically, I think the U.S. outlook looks pretty good.
JACKOSN: Vice President Pence with a show of force at the Health Department.
VP MIKE PENCE: The President has made it clear, we want all heads on deck.
JACKSON: He's now leading the administration's response after critics accuses the White House of mixed messaging and confusing contradictions between the President and his top officials.
(…)
JACKSON: The West Wing’s working to streamline it’s messaging through the Vice President's office but one top doctor, Anthony Fauci, who appeared with Pence today, reportedly told associates he's been instructed “not to say anything else without clearance,” according to The New York Times.
The Vice President has also come under fire for how he handled a spike in HIV cases in Indiana in 2015 when he was governor. Initially opposing a needle exchange program before backing one that slowed the outbreak weeks later.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): What was his approach? It was to put politics over science and let a serious virus expand in his state.
SEN. MIKE BRAUN (R-IN) He obviously has learned from that and arguably, it would maybe in the best spot to know how you deal with this based upon what happened back in Indiana.
[Cuts back to live]
JACKSON: In a sign the administration is certainly watching the potential economic impact on the coronavirus, the President’s top advisors on that issue, including his treasury secretary, have now been added to that task force handling the response. Lester.
LESTER HOLT: All right, Hallie Jackson tonight at the White House, thanks.
