Trump Baselessly Accuses CNN and MSNBC of Hyping Up ‘Caronavirus’ to Tank the Economy (Also Misspells Coronavirus)
LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
President Donald Trump blasted cable news outlets Wednesday morning, claiming that MSNBC and CNN are “doing everything” to make the coronavirus “look as bad as possible,” and as result, are panicking the markets. The aggressive tweet seemed to counter a recent warning by the CDC and also included a rather embarrassing typo that misspelled the looming pandemic as “Caronavirus.” (Cue Hail to the Chief.)
Trump tweeted:
Low Ratings Fake News MSDNC (Comcast) & @CNN are doing everything possible to make the Caronavirus look as bad as possible, including panicking markets, if possible. Likewise their incompetent Do Nothing Democrat comrades are all talk, no action. USA in great shape! @CDCgov…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 26, 2020
Trump followed the first by announcing an early evening news conference scheduled for 6 PM EST time, which will undoubtedly be void of conflict, hyperbole and half-truths.
I will be having a News Conference at the White House, on this subject, today at 6:00 P.M. CDC representatives, and others, will be there. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 26, 2020
CNN and MSNBC have covered the coronavirus rather extensively the past few days, but not materially less than Fox News.
According to television transcript database TV Eyes, CNN has mentioned “coronavirus” 185 times since the start of the week, while Fox News has mentioned the term 182 times. Curiously, MSNBC has mentioned the term a relatively paltry 135 times.
