CNN reporter Oliver Darcy got Facebook to pull a video report by Project Veritas’ James O’Keefe on Tuesday because the report featured a National Guardsman offering his opinion that the COVID-19 Chinese coronavirus was like the flu.

“New: Facebook spox says company is removing a @JamesOKeefeIII video posted today for violating its policies on COVID-19 misinfo. “Equating COVID-19 with the common flu could cause people not to take the advice of medical professionals and thus contribute to the virus’ spread.”

New: Facebook spox says company is removing a @JamesOKeefeIII video posted today for violating its policies on COVID-19 misinfo. "Equating COVID-19 with the common flu could cause people not to take the advice of medical professionals and thus contribute to the virus’ spread." pic.twitter.com/OoTLscKLL6 — Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) April 1, 2020

Despite entreaties by Darcy, the O’Keefe video is still allowed on Twitter and YouTube, “Spokespeople for Twitter and YouTube say the video doesn’t break their platform’s policies on Covid-19 misinfo.”

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Spokespeople for Twitter and YouTube say the video doesn't break their platform's policies on Covid-19 misinfo. — Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) April 1, 2020

The video CNN and Darcy don’t want you to see:

Army National Guardsman tells @Project_Veritas Media Coverage of #COVID19 Is Overblown: “It’s the flu! It’s the flu!… I’m in the tents with them!” Insiders at hospitals and testing centers please keep sending tips: [email protected]#BeBrave pic.twitter.com/mASpv5sgqw — James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) March 31, 2020

Excerpt from Project Veritas report:

At the Glen Island Park drive-thru COVID-19 testing entrance, New York National Guardsmen told Project Veritas founder and CEO James O’Keefe the media reaction to the virus outbreak was overblown and to him it was just a flu. The guardsman then instructed O’Keefe to turn his hazard lights on, follow the car in front of him and observe the testing center’s drive-thru directional signage. After receiving the instructions, O’Keefe engaged with the guardsman. James O’Keefe: “What about the situation itself. Is it as bad as–the media is

saying? The whole pandemic?”

New York Army National Guardsman: “Oh no. It’s the flu!”

O’Keefe: “That’s all it is?”

Guardsman: “It’s the flu.” … The view was shared by a medical professional working the site, who spoke to O’Keefe. O’Keefe: “Is it as bad as they’re saying, this pandemic? Everyone’s freaking out. Is it bad, is it overblown by the media, what is it like?”

Medical worker: “Is it what?”

O’Keefe: “Is the media accurately reporting or is it as bad as people are saying?”

Medical worker: “No.”

O’Keefe: “It’s not as bad as the—”

Medical worker: “It’s precautionary.”

O’Keefe: “The media is making it out bigger?”

Medical worker: “Yes.”

O’Keefe slammed Darcy and CNN, “This is OUTRAGEOUS. We reported the medical testers and army personnel answers to Qs. Instead of CNN reporters going out in field to illuminate, you CALL FB to TRY to get us banned. You’re not journalists. You’re not reporting. You’re participants in the system. @oliverdarcy”

“Oliver Darcy @oliverdarcy used to make GPA distribution videos in college mocking socialism. Now he does participant agent provocateur boycotts for blue chip companies on behalf of CNN. He sold his soul for glory. Here he is on Fox News in 2011.”

This is OUTRAGEOUS. We reported the medical testers and army personnel answers to Qs. Instead of CNN reporters going out in field to illuminate, you CALL FB to TRY to get us banned. You’re not journalists. You’re not reporting. You’re participants in the system. @oliverdarcy https://t.co/Tyl6tl6dkw — James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) April 1, 2020

Oliver Darcy @oliverdarcy used to make GPA distribution videos in college mocking socialism.

Now he does participant agent provocateur boycotts for blue chip companies on behalf of CNN. He sold his soul for glory. Here he is on Fox News in 2011.pic.twitter.com/ue0sD9Mbdw — James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) April 1, 2020

Free speech and debate about the coronavirus is not allowed in the world of Oliver Darcy, CNN and Facebook.

One wonders how long it will be before they turn their sights on White House coronavirus task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci for co-authoring a report last week that says the coronavirus could end up being like a very bad flu season.

New England Journal of Medicine, March 26, excerpt.

On the basis of a case definition requiring a diagnosis of pneumonia, the currently reported case fatality rate is approximately 2%.4 In another article in the Journal, Guan et al.5 report mortality of 1.4% among 1099 patients with laboratory-confirmed Covid-19; these patients had a wide spectrum of disease severity. If one assumes that the number of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic cases is several times as high as the number of reported cases, the case fatality rate may be considerably less than 1%. This suggests that the overall clinical consequences of Covid-19 may ultimately be more akin to those of a severe seasonal influenza (which has a case fatality rate of approximately 0.1%) or a pandemic influenza (similar to those in 1957 and 1968) rather than a disease similar to SARS or MERS, which have had case fatality rates of 9 to 10% and 36%, respectively.2

The nation is involved in a great debate about the severity of the coronavirus and the severity of the steps being taken to deal with it. Censoring news reports of interviews with those involved in the fight is un-American and hurts that debate and the ability of Americans to make informed decisions.