In a horrendous lie on CNN first flagged by the Trump campaign, CNN hosts Ana Cabrera and Boris Sanchez displayed gross arrogance, immaturity, and snarkiness in repeatedly lying by telling viewers on Saturday and Sunday that President Trump initially chalked up the coronavirus to having been “a hoax.”
Fact-checker after fact-checker (and even liberal ones like The Washington Post) decried this falsehood, but in Zuckerville, such gaslighting is not only encouraged, but it’s become a requirement to survive at CNN.
Sunday afternoon, Cabrera directly blamed the President for the coronavirus outbreak and peddled the “hoax” lie. As part of a seven-minute meltdown, she insisted that a lack of funding for an Obama-instituted program on pandemics.
Where are the tests? Where is the leadership? My fact-check of the Trump administration's response to the #coronavirus pandemic: pic.twitter.com/wL4mKmLUhz
— Ana Cabrera (@AnaCabrera) March 15, 2020
“The words of an American president during a time of global crisis matter the world over. President Trump is trading on the credibility of an office he did not create. So where will the world turn when it is taught to turn off a President who said this in India less than three weeks ago,” an offended Cabrera lectured, which led to a soundbite of Trump predicting that the virus would “go away.”
Earth to CNN: Facts change. Sure, critique the President’s demeanor. By all means take issue with a press conference or a tweet. It’s all fair game! But making faces, sighing, and lashing out (see Fake News Jim and Fredo for other examples) solves nothing when it comes to being a host and so-called journalist.
Certainly, Cabrera and her bosses feel much better after such snarky takedowns that leave them near tears, but their punditry doesn’t help prevent the spread or cure anyone of the virus. Then again, as we saw with the Surgeon General, any and all pushback of the liberal media hurts their feelings.
With such sarcastic (and, yes, arguably juvenile) outbursts encouraged at CNN, Cabrera will certainly find herself promoted in no time.
Prior to Cabrera’s Sunday afternoon segment, there were three Saturday segments between Cabrera and Sanchez that pushed the lie.
After two soundbites from Friday afternoon’s Rose Garden press conference, Cabrera stated without evidence at 3:21 p.m. Eastern that Trump trumpeted “original claims of a hoax” being afoot concerning the coronavirus.
Cabrera showed herself to be someone beyond parody when she brought on Trump aide-turned-hater Anthony Scaramucci, wondering whether there’s anyone “who privately would tell the President, you can't call this a hoax, it's no joke, and you are going to put everyone at risk if you don't take this seriously.”
In the 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour, Sanchez lamented to former Obama official Samantha Vinograd that the President has “suggested that this coronavirus epidemic --- pandemic is a hoax perpetrated by Democrats.”
Later, Sanchez hyped: “Case in point. Two weeks ago, Trump called the response about the gravity of the virus a hoax. It's not.”
It was at 9:28 p.m. Eastern that Sanchez left his journalistic bona fides behind and, like Cabrera, sounded more like pundits. Here’s how it started, accompanied by the chyron that stated in part “Trump on Coronavirus: From “Hoax” to National Emergency,” (click “expand”):
SANCHEZ: You may have caught this --- the President was soaking in the praise at the Rose Garden yesterday for his leadership during the global pandemic.
PENCE [on 03/13/20]: Thank you, Mr. President. It is --- this day should be an inspiration to every American because thanks to your leadership from early on, not only are we bringing a whole of government approach to confronting the coronavirus, we're bringing an all of America approach.
SANCHEZ: We have to reflect on those comments from Vice President Mike Pence. And that kind of leadership that he's talking about, especially considering the President’s own words on coronavirus over the last few weeks.
TRUMP [on 02/29/20]: Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus. [SCREEN WIPE] One of my people came up to me and said, "Mr. President, they tried to beat you on Russia, Russia, Russia. That didn't work out too well. They tried the impeachment hoax. And this is their new hoax." [SCREEN WIPE] [on 03/06/20] I like this stuff, I really get it. People are surprised that I understand it. Every one of these doctors said, "How do you know so much about this?" Maybe I have a natural ability. Maybe I should have done that instead of running for president.
After more smirking and sarcasm, Sanchez wound down with a pot shot at Trump via Harry Truman (as Cabrera would do the next day)(click “expand”):
SANCHEZ: Well, the President is quick to accept credit for what appears to be like a solution, like that national rollout of a Google website that Google never agreed to. Don't ask him to take the blame that most still can't get tested in this country.
(….)
SANCHEZ: Remember that famous sign that President Harry Truman kept on his desk? “The Buck Stops Here.” Apparently, it’s no longer in the Oval Office. But not to worry!
PENCE [on 03/13/20]: Throughout this process, Mr. President, you've put the health of America First.
SANCHEZ: Yeah. Outside of calling the response to coronavirus a hoax when it resulted a pandemic, assuring everyone could get tested when they clearly and still cannot, and announcing a national scale website in a partnership with Google that does not exist, the President has you covered.
This is CNN.
To see the relevant CNN transcripts, click “expand.”
CNN Newsroom with Ana Cabrera
March 14, 2020
3:20 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Global Pandemic; Trump Gets Tested for Virus After Downplaying Threat for Weeks]
ANA CABRERA: President Trump has been giving regular updates to the public about coronavirus, but ---and this is a huge but --- the information he gives is not always accurate and he often downplays the threat and contradicts statements he or his expert advisers have previously said.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP [on 02/29/20]: Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus. [SCREEN WIPE] This is their new hoax. [SCREEN WIPE] [on 03/10/20[ It will go away. Just stay calm.
KRISTEN WELKER [TO TRUMP] [on 03/13/20]: Dr. Fauci said earlier this week that the lag in testing was, in fact, failing. Do you take responsibility for that, and when can you guarantee that every single American who needs a test will be able to have a test? What's the date of that?
TRUMP [on 03/13/20]: Yeah, no, I don't take responsibility at all.
YAMICHE ALCINDOR [on 03/13/20] [TO TRUMP]: You said that you don't take responsibility but you did disband the White House Pandemic Office and the officials that were working in that office left this administration abruptly, so what responsibility do you take to that?
[SCREEN WIPE]
TRUMP: You say, me. I didn't do it. We have a group of people. I could ask perhaps my administration, but I could perhaps ask Tony about that because I don't know anything about it.
CABRERA: And yet despite these inaccuracies, blame shifting moments, original claims of a hoax, Vice President Mike Pence has been effusive in his praise of the President.
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE [on 03/13/20]: Mr. President, from early on, you took decisive action. [SCREEN WIPE] Throughout this process, Mr. President, you've put the health of America first.
CABRERA: With me now, President Trump's former White House Communications Director, Anthony Scaramucci. Good to have you here, Anthony. Is this what it looks like to work with Trump behind the scenes? Is there no one who privately would tell the President, you can't call this a hoax, it's no joke, and you are going to put everyone at risk if you don't take this seriously?
----
CNN Newsroom
March 14, 2020
7:11 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Global Pandemic; Trump Says He’s Considering Domestic Travel Restrictions]
SAMANTHA VINOGRAD: This is a case where we don't want to follow the leader, when it comes to appropriate behavior and we really need to question what is driving his policy making at this point.
SANCHEZ: He did allude to trying to follow the CDC guidelines today when he talked about trying not to shake hands. He acknowledged that he didn't do it before he was a politician.
VINGRAD: Which he did yesterday.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Global Pandemic; Trump Tested for Coroanvirus, Awaiting Results]
SANCHEZ: Right but he's been doing it all this time and he's been having rallies with large crowds in which he suggests that this coronavirus epidemic --- pandemic is a hoax perpetrated by Democrats.
(….)
7:40 p.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: National Emergency; Trump Gets Key Facts Wrong During Briefings]
SANCHEZ: President Trump has been giving regular updates to the public about coronavirus, but -- and this is a major but -- the information that he gives isn't always accurate. He often downplays the threat and he contradicts statements he or his own advisers have previously made. Case in point. Two weeks ago, Trump called the response about the gravity of the virus a hoax. It's not.
----
CNN Newsroom
March 14, 2020
9:28 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Presidential Response; Trump on Coronavirus: From “Hoax” to National Emergency]
BORIS SANCHEZ: You may have caught this -- the President was soaking in the praise at the rose garden yesterday for his leadership during the global pandemic.
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE [on 03/13/20]: Thank you, Mr. President. It is --- this day should be an inspiration to every American because thanks to your leadership from early on, not only are we bringing a whole of government approach to confronting the coronavirus, we're bringing an all of America approach.
SANCHEZ: We have to reflect on those comments from Vice President Mike Pence. And that kind of leadership that he's talking about, especially considering the President’s own words on coronavirus over the last few weeks.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP [on 02/29/20]: Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus. [SCREEN WIPE] One of my people came up to me and said, "Mr. President, they tried to beat you on Russia, Russia, Russia. That didn't work out too well. They tried the impeachment hoax. And this is their new hoax." [SCREEN WIPE] [on 03/06/20] I like this stuff, I really get it. People are surprised that I understand it. Every one of these doctors said, "How do you know so much about this?" Maybe I have a natural ability. Maybe I should have done that instead of running for president.
SANCHEZ: The kind of leadership Trump was accepting praise for would have presumably led to a focus on testing kits. There's a shortage of them now, instead of talking about a Democrat hoax. The U.S. is still fighting a dangerous uphill battle to find out the scope of that problem.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI [on 03/11/20]: The system does not -- is not really geared to what we need right now. What you are asking for. That is a failing.
CONGRESSWOMAN DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D-FL) [on 03/11/20]: A failing, yes --
FAUCI [on 03/11/20]: It is a failing. Let's admit it.
SANCHEZ: “A failing. Let's admit it.” We don't have enough tests and simply saying that something is true doesn't make it so. It's not just coming from Democrats or the media, you can ask a staunch defender of the President, Senator James Langford. Listen.
TRUMP [on 03/06/20]: Anybody that wants a test can get a test.
SENATOR JAMES LANKFORD (R-OK) [on 03/11/20]: No. It's not consistent right now. That's obviously the goal, to get testing for everybody who wants testing, to get it in multiple locations, but that's not accurate right now.
MANU RAJU [on 03/11/20]: Should he stop saying that?
LANKFORD [on 03/11/20]: Yeah. People should not say if you want a test you can go get a test right now.
SANCHEZ [SMIRKING]: Well, the President is quick to accept credit for what appears to be like a solution, like that national rollout of a Google website that Google never agreed to. Don't ask him to take the blame that most still can't get tested in this country.
KRISTEN WELKER [TO TRUMP] [on 03/13/20]: Dr. Fauci said earlier this week that the lag in testing was, in fact, failing. Do you take responsibility for that, and when can you guarantee that every single American who needs a test will be able to take a test? What's the date of that?
TRUMP [on 03/13/20]: Yeah, no I don't take responsibility at all.
SANCHEZ: Remember that famous sign that President Harry Truman kept on his desk? “The Buck Stops Here.” Apparently, it’s no longer in the Oval Office. But not to worry!
PENCE [on 03/13/20]: Throughout this process, Mr. President, you've put the health of America First.
SANCHEZ: Yeah. Outside of calling the response to coronavirus a hoax when it resulted a pandemic, assuring everyone could get tested when they clearly and still cannot, and announcing a national scale website in a partnership with Google that does not exist, the President has you covered.
