Open Letter to Legitimate News Outlets: It’s Time to Cancel White House Coronavirus Briefings

Donald Trump’s dog whistling to his base to rebel against state life-saving efforts have no place on television, and exhibit a lack of journalistic integrity.

4/30/2020

Dear Legitimate News Outlets,

I get the scam, and I am certain you do too.

Donald Trump’s manipulations and lies, and his ongoing disinformation campaign, have taken on a new and disturbing mainstream form: official rallies keeping him in the spotlight for November, under the guise of formal White House Coronavirus Task Force briefings.

As the President of the United States will not hold his Nuremberg-style rallies for the near-future, his daily propaganda campaign has taken its place and is presently airing on most major cable news outlets.

The issues with airing such frequent propaganda from Trump are many, and include:

A chronic disrespect of women reporters.

For newcomers on the podium, what appears to be a prerequisite to thank the president for his leadership. This also appears to be a prerequisite for a state governor to receive much-needed supplies.

Openly discussing grievances against state leaders.

His continuing to state anyone can presently receive a test. Healthcare workers are interviewed on television daily debunking those words, stating they do not yet have the necessary supplies. Trump says over 4 million people have been tested. We live in a country of over 328 million.

Continual blaming of “Democratic governors” for complaining about the lack of supplies.

While he acceded decision-making to the states, following blowback from remarks where he insinuated he was King of the country, his insults of the Democratic governors sends a message to his most ardent supporters to not listen to them.

Politically expediency, blaming everyone but himself on a near-daily basis: Obama, Nancy Pelosi, the governors, the CDC, the WHO, the Democrats, the “impeachment hoax.”

Appearing on television proclaiming the virtues of self-isolation, while 12 hours later tweeting that three states must “liberate!”

Blaming the “media” for fomenting anger, and sending tweets in support of protestors.

Blaming of the media in general, which enables his supporters to distrust journalists save for those on Fox, or far-right outlets.

Many of those supporters now consider state “stay at home” orders to be “un-American,” and against the cause of “freedom.”

Appearing to cut off Dr. Fauci if he says anything not Trump-approved.

A continual flouting of an exaggerated “resume”: “We had the greatest economy in the history of the world until a few weeks ago.” “The previous administration said that manufacturing was dead in this country, and then I came along.” “We set records …”

Continually stating that 2 million would have likely died if not for his efforts and leadership, sending a message that “up to the expected 60,000” is “not that bad.”

Diversions. Today, an army general spoke about the border wall, which had nothing whatsoever to do with our current pandemic, despite a string-thin attempt to connect the two.

Stating “Some people don’t believe we need widespread testing.” Once again, many of his most ardent supporters take the comment as a definitive, Trump-approved statement, which is most likely what he wants them to hear while enabling the perception of a “safe” route to “re-open the economy.”

Meaningless repetition. OPEC-Plus, Civil War death toll reminders, the efficacy of his “early efforts” and other non-Covid-19 statistics.

Creating an environment where he could have it both ways: “reopening the economy” (a turn of phrase as the economy never closed), while blaming the states should the mortality rate increase. In the meantime, the majority of his ardent supporters shown on television, outside, are neither wearing masks nor any other protective garb.

This weekend in Los Angeles

Until recently, both MSNBC and CNN had the right idea, cutting away when Trump went off-topic. Of late, however, both have aired the majority of, if not all of, the briefings.

There is no reason whatsoever to continue airing what has amounted to a self-congratulatory daily reality show. We can watch highlights, read the newspaper, or check the latest information online for our information.

Anything more is enabling a sociopath, who the next day will rebuke much of what he said the day before on Twitter, which amounts to not only a loss of journalistic integrity, but an endangerment of innocent human lives.

The president’s cherished “ratings” are not everything.

Do the right thing.

Thank you for reading.

Yours,

Joel Eisenberg, a Concerned U.S. Citizen