Here’s the Only Mention of ‘Disinfectant’ on Fox News on Anniversary of Trump’s Bleachgate Debacle
Cable news networks CNN and MSNBC repeatedly marked the anniversary of then-President Donald Trump’s “Bleachgate” press briefing, but the occasion was not marked by Fox News.
CNN discussed the debacle, during which Trump suggested injecting disinfectant could be an effective method of fighting the coronavirus, during at least four segments throughout Friday.
MSNBC devoted at least six segments to marking the anniversary, including this ten-minute “Happy Bleach-iversary” segment from Rachel Maddow that connects Trump’s comments with the recent indictment of a Florida family for selling bleach as a Covid cure.
The network also ended its coverage on Bleach Day with a commentary by Brian Williams that took one last shot at Dr. Deborah Birx for humoring Trump during that press conference.
“And lest we forget, Dr. Birx sat there,” Williams said. “In fact it’s rather remarkable, looking back on it, that ‘pulling a Birx’ or ‘Birxing’ haven’t since entered our lexicon as terms meaning to remain quiet in the face of malpractice and mass death. It truly took a village to watch and listen to the ranks stupidity and incompetence that took so many lives. But as we just saw, it’s important to remember, it started at the top.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci was also a member of Trump’s coronavirus task force, and while Dr. Birx has since left the government, Fauci remains a leader on the Biden administration’s Covid team.
And as Mediaite reported yesterday, there was copious dunking on social media to mark the bleach holiday.
But on Fox News, there was only one mention of the word “disinfectant” on Friday, and it was brief:
Was Armor All trolling Trump? You decide.
The level of bleachiversary coverage is a matter of taste, of course, but it should be noted that Trump himself marked the anniversary by taking the New York Post up on their invitation to help push vaccinations to a hesitant audience. That’s a message that deserves more attention.
