In case you missed it, earlier today, NPR Washington investigative correspondent Tim Mak broke a huge story about Senate Intel Chair Richard Burr.

SCOOP: Secret recording obtained by NPR shows that Senate Intel Chairman Richard Burr raised alarms about Coronavirus weeks ago in private meeting with well-connected constituents — concerns he never shared with the public https://t.co/afyvzaMyXK — Tim Mak (@timkmak) March 19, 2020

Mak reports:

The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee warned a small group of well-connected constituents three weeks ago to prepare for dire economic and societal effects of the coronavirus, according to a secret recording obtained by NPR. The remarks from U.S. Sen. Richard Burr were more stark than any he had delivered in more public forums. … “There’s one thing that I can tell you about this: It is much more aggressive in its transmission than anything that we have seen in recent history,” he said [at a February 27 luncheon], according to a secret recording of the remarks obtained by NPR. “It is probably more akin to the 1918 pandemic.”

In sum: "Despite his longtime interest in bio-hazard threats, his expertise… and his role as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Burr did not warn the public of the government actions he thought might become necessary, like he did at the luncheon on Feb. 27." — Tim Mak (@timkmak) March 19, 2020

Whoa, you guys. Whoa. W-H-O-A.

This secret recording of @SenatorBurr suggests some in the GOP fully grasped how serious COVID 19 would be, but refused to say so publicly — putting American lives at risk to maintain allegiance to the Trump WH: https://t.co/QJJT2manDT — Alex Wagner (@alexwagner) March 19, 2020

Wow, @timkmak obtained a recording of Sen. BURR three weeks ago in which he tells attendees of a private luncheon of dire coronavirus consequences long before the WH was acknowledging them publicly. https://t.co/mbWrEkhNlI — Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) March 19, 2020

Hell of a scoop! Thanks for your reporting! — Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) March 19, 2020

This is seriously huge.

Except no. No it isn’t.

I honestly don't get what the point of this is. It's not like he has secret knowledge that he was hiding from people. Everyone who was following this thing knew this. https://t.co/JssmIWZLGQ — PoliMath (@politicalmath) March 19, 2020

The CDC was already sharing this information with the public. What exactly is the "SCOOP" here? https://t.co/TtxWZokGzC — RBe (@RBPundit) March 19, 2020

I'm 100% sure this information was out in the open from the CDC when this meeting happened. Seems to me this is flawed Democrat oppositition research that NPR didn't bother checking into. https://t.co/dxgAGBQY56 — RBe (@RBPundit) March 19, 2020

This super secret meeting was on February 27th. Here's the CDC making the same warnings on February 25th.https://t.co/YssqnSEmHO https://t.co/TtxWZokGzC — RBe (@RBPundit) March 19, 2020

All @timkmak had to do was Google. It took my five seconds to find an article that predates the Feb 27 meeting where the CDC PUBLICLY makes the same warnings. Jesus Christ, dude. Can you at least TRY to hide that you're just parroting some Dem flack's pitch to you? https://t.co/9oqZtMzE2J — RBe (@RBPundit) March 19, 2020

C’mon, Tim. Google’s there for a reason. The interwebs can be really helpful in situations like this. Situations in which you risk making yourself look like a petty fool.

I’m a harsh critic of Republicans putting Trump’s political interests over US national interests, and of the Trump administration’s lies and mistakes re: coronavirus, but this accusation against Sen. Burr is unfair and unhelpful.

Because… https://t.co/s9QEdbhoue — Nicholas Grossman (@NGrossman81) March 19, 2020

On Feb. 7, Burr wrote an op-ed that began “Americans are rightfully concerned about the coronavirus.” At the time, Trump was saying COVID-19 wasn’t a big deal and people shouldn’t worry about it.

On Feb. 28, Trump said worries were exaggerated, a “hoax” to hurt him.

There is… pic.twitter.com/kWNwA0PWKr — Nicholas Grossman (@NGrossman81) March 19, 2020

No evidence Burr kept info from the public to “maintain allegiance to the Trump WH.”

He said some things privately he didn’t say publicly, true.

I also expressed more dire worry in private than in public, as, I’m sure, did others.

Senator… — Nicholas Grossman (@NGrossman81) March 19, 2020

Burr says he didn’t want to stoke panic. Maybe he got the balance of issuing warnings without stoking panic wrong. Not many got it right.

But without evidence of an ulterior motive, accusing him of one doesn’t help.

We have enough misinfo and division to deal with as it is.

(END) — Nicholas Grossman (@NGrossman81) March 19, 2020

If Mak and NPR were trying to blow the lid off of some GOP COVID19 conspiracy, they failed. Miserably.

SCOOP: I have a secret recording of the Democratic debate which happened at the same time and the response from the people running for president was "check the CDC website" pic.twitter.com/tSddz5SqCd — PoliMath (@politicalmath) March 19, 2020

Heh.

Hey Tim. This information was already public when this meeting happened. The CDC was offering it up to people. When that Democrat hack who fed you this oppo story, you should have done your homework. Now you look like a Democrat hack. Which is what you are. https://t.co/TtxWZokGzC — RBe (@RBPundit) March 19, 2020

***

Update:

OK, see, now this actually looks pretty problematic for Richard Burr:

7. Wow…speaking of investment decisions So while Senate Intel Chairman Richard Burr was telling business leaders in private that the Coronavirus would be akin to the 1918 pandemic, he was unloading stocks that would later decline in value! https://t.co/3ZRipb1whX — Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) March 19, 2020

SCOOP: NC's GOP Senator Richard Burr told the public he was confident the govt can fight off COVID-19 the same time he & his wife sold up to ~$1.5 million stock in major corporations that ended up losing most of their value during the coronavirus pandemic https://t.co/JsXkaxb2Pw pic.twitter.com/lMnnbBfoNZ — Anna Massoglia (@annalecta) March 19, 2020

Hmmm …

8. I'm not suggesting this is insider trading but it is certainly troubling for the Senate Intelligence Chairman to make remarks in private to business leaders about this being like the 1918 pandemic…and then express confidence in public while simultaneously selling shares. — Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) March 19, 2020

Yeah, the optics aren’t the best there.