Fox News’ John Roberts Briefly Debunks Trump’s ‘Very Very Deadly’ Disinfectant Idea, Quickly Changes Subject
Fox News’ John Roberts very briefly debunked President Donald Trump’s “very, very deadly” suggestion about ingesting or injecting disinfectants to treat the coronavirus, in what may be an emerging trend in Fox News’ coverage of this latest dangerous gaffe.
On Friday morning’s edition of America’s Newsroom, Roberts delivered a report from the White House to Ed Henry that included several clips form Thursday’s coronavirus briefing, but not the one everyone’s talking about — the one about injecting humans with disinfectants and/or very powerful light as a treatment for the disease.
Roberts did address the flap — for a total of 20 seconds — by saying “A lot of questions over something that President said last night about the possible use of disinfectants and ultraviolet light to treat coronavirus inside the body.”
“That prompted doctors across the country to jump up and say ‘Never ingest or inject disinfectants, that’s something that’s very very deadly.'”
He then quickly changed the subject, never to return to it.
That brief mention followed a similarly brief comment from Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy on his show, in which Doocy complained about the “big deal” being made over the comments, while also noting that Trump’s suggested treatment “is poisonous.”
Neither segment featured the clip of Trump, and both featured quick subject-changes once the disclaimer was out of the way.
Fox News has taken a lot of criticism over its coverage of the coronavirus, particularly by the network’s opinion hosts, but they have also displayed an awareness of lines that they don’t want to cross — best exemplified by their sister network’s ouster of Trish Regan after calling coverage of the pandemic a “scam.”
Fox News hosts may or may not continue to engage in a feedback loop with Trump’s coronavirus misinformation, but at least as of Friday morning, no one can say Fox News didn’t warn viewers — for 27 seconds — that shooting up Clorox will kill you.
Watch the clip above via Fox News.
