Posted on 03/21/2020 7:46:55 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
President Trump's can-do "what the hell do we have to lose" attitude in what he calls a "war against an invisible enemy" was on full display again in a news conference on the coronavirus, COVID-19, and a drug that may be used soon to treat it, but the fireworks flew when one reporter accused the president of giving "false hope" to the American people.
What happened next might have been Trump's finest hour.
Mind you, we're still so early in these tectonic changes to American life – quarantines, shutdowns, social distancing – that it's a little early to say what's "false" and real hope at this point. But accusing the president of blowing sunshine up the collective American skirt was a little more than Trump could abide.
The issue being discussed was the drug used to treat malaria, hydroxychloroquine. It has been used to treat COVID-19 and anecdotally has shown promising results. The drug has been a favorite topic of Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson lately. He interviewed Stanford University Medical School advisor Gregory Rigano this week, who said the malaria drug was being used with great effect, according to a French study. Carlson has even reached out to the president to discuss the potentially deadly virus.
In Thursday's coronavirus task force update, the president said he has "directed the FDA to eliminate rules and bureaucracy so work can proceed rapidly, quickly and fast. We have to remove every barrier" to begin using chloroquine. He also said there were "very, very encouraging early results. And we’re going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately.”
Friday, reporters asked the president and the National Institute of Health's Dr. Anthony Fauci about the drug. Fauci said the data on the malaria drug was only anecdotal
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
NBC News reporter Peter Alexander accused the president of giving “false” hope about the drug, “I’m sorry but Dr. Fauci said that there is no magic drug for coronavirus right now.”
The president never represented that the therapy was a possible “magic drug.” In fact, he said he didn’t know if it would work, but that it could be a “game-changer.” President Trump and the reporter went back and forth for a few minutes about the “millions of units” of the drug that have been ordered in case it’s found helpful, but Alexander accused the president of being overly optimistic and spinning the issue.
“Is it possible that your impulse to put a positive spin on things may be giving Americans a false sense of hope – misrepresenting...?”
Trump discussed how it was already being used to fight malaria and has been prescribed for 20 years, so there were few downsides to simply trying it:
“I feel good about it. That’s all it is, just a feeling. I’m a smart guy. I feel good about it. And we’re gonna see. We’re gonna see soon enough. And we certainly have big samples of people, when you look at the people – we have a lot of people who are in big trouble.
I’m not being overly optimistic or pessimistic. I sure as hell think we should give it a try. There’s been some interesting things happening. you know the expression, what the hell do you have to lose?”
But Alexander didn’t want the upside of what he called Trump’s “spin”:
“Two hundred dead, 14,000 sick, millions scared. What do you say to the millions who are watching right now who are scared?”
Trump: “I say you’re a terrible reporter.”
This is where most reporters will end this exchange. I urge you to read on, and also read PJM’s Megan Fox’s report on the full exchange here:
Little Clinton-Fauci was a liar.
there was a LOT of data, but he elected
to reveal his DEEP STATE roots
by setting our President up.
FIRE the bastard, MR. PRESIDENT.
"I think it's a very nasty question and I think its a very bad signal that you're putting out to the American people. The American people are looking for answers and they're looking for hope and you're doing sensationalism and the same with NBC and Comcast. ... That's really bad reporting. And you ought to get back to reporting instead of sensationalism. Let's see if it works. It might and it might not. I happen to feel good about it, but who knows. I've been right a lot. Let's see what happens.
Yeah, fire him... using real fire.
On NBC/Comcast: “I don’t use your company’s real name anymore. Now you’re CON-cast.” LMAO.
WATCH THE VIDEO AT THIS LINK:
A rabid reporterette wouldn’t let it go and demanded to know why Trump called Alexander a terrible reporter. Ignoring the fact that millions of Americans want facts and reassurance, she instead focused on the feelings of the press corps. They sure can dish it out but clutch their pearls in outrage when their motives are questioned.
The president went on to explain why these types of questions and hysterical reporting are unhelpful and only serve to sensationalize the crisis and harm the public.
“There’s a lot of great journalism,” Trump said, “and a lot of fake news out there.” The president continued to praise journalism as a profession: “It is a very important profession that you’re in. It’s a profession that I think is incredible. I cherish it, but when people are dishonest they truly hurt our country.”
The president went on to give the American people a hopeful message saying they have “done an incredible job” with what the people have been through so far.
President Trump described himself as optimistic and full of hope. He believes the people are with him and not scared, but acting in a prudent and measured way in a difficult time. “When, not IF, when we win the war,” he said he is confident that jobs will come back.
The president wants the media to share the good news with the country and stop fear-mongering and searching for the worst-case scenarios and instead focus on the enormous efforts that are underway to bring this crisis to a swift end. No U.S. hospitals have been overwhelmed thus far, supplies are on the way, and American companies are stepping up to fill in any shortage gaps by manufacturing anything that is needed. Cruiselines are offering ships for more hospital space, Navy ships are being deployed to the places hardest hit, and millions of masks for medical professionals are on the way. But none of the reporters in that room wanted to focus on these amazing developments and instead were single-mindedly trying to trip Trump up and get a viral clip of themselves on social media because “orange man bad.”
“Coming together is much harder when we have dishonest journalists,” Trump said. Indeed, the president and his team have moved huge mountains of regulations and enacted war-time measures to make sure that Americans will not suffer needlessly during this time. Even Democrats like Governor Cuomo and Ilhan Omar are singing his praises, which boggles the mind.
With today’s press, America would have lost WWII.
The fifth-column leftist media (e.g., ABCCBSCNNNBCNPRNYTPBSWP) have repeatedly demonstrated that they are enemies of the United States of America.
NO drug is magic.
There are a hundred million reasons why I am so very thankful that Donald John Trump is my President.....
....but I am especially blessed with his positive attitude!
He carries it everywhere he goes.....it is second nature to him!!!!
How dare this Peter show off try to rob him and all of us from HOPE!
Partisan Media Shills update.
Bravo Mr. President!
Liberals have found their new attack narrative. Accuse the President of not taking the virus seriously.
Had he not tried to give people hope and calm anxious people, the Democratic Media Complex would accuse him of needlessly spreading fear in a time when we need to reassure the public.
Media people hate Trump and anyone who supports him.
They are the enemy. They view the world differently.
Govern yourselves accordingly.
This one is by far the most infuriating.
There is no such thing as “false hope”. There’s hope.
It is criminal for the media to tear hope down and offer nothing but bleakness and despair.
We know the pills works to treat Malaria relapses my dad took the real QUINE for his relapses, he was in the Philippines under Gen. MacArthur WW2 . Military still give the anti-Malaria shot when going into high Malaria areas. 2 different needs. Pills are for those already sick. They have data on the pill form. As a vaccine not enough info. The WW2 shot was not always effective. Formula changed since then.
I think most people see pretty clearly that Trump is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t with the media and much of the punditry.
ADD CDC DIRECTOR REDFIED. LIAR, fudged his Ebola and Dengue Fever papers. This calls for an EPIDEMIOLOGIST not a Virology liar.
If they found anything that lessened the ‘effect’ by 50-percent...that’s better than nothing. The fact that this already developed and you could press out a billion in a month easily...nothing lost as far as I can see.
I’ll point this out...everything about the harsh nature...is making it look purely like a case of pneumonia. If this drills down into the fever, lessens that, and gives some relief on breathing...then it’s a half-wonder-drug and we can happy with that.
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