CNN Reporter Confronts FL Doctor Over Covid Misinformation While He’s on Shirtless Bike Ride
CNN reporter Randi Kaye hounded a doctor in Florida while he was out on a shirtless bike ride in an attempt to question him for spreading coronavirus misinformation.
Kaye was in the Sunshine State this week as she tried to track down Dr. Joseph Mercola, an osteopathic physician with a history of promoting alternative medicine and the anti-vaccine movement.
The Center for Countering Digital Hate, a non-profit that has conducted research into the social media spread of Covid misinformation, has put Mercola at the top of their list of people spreading anti-vaccine talking points.
CNN aired footage of Kaye walking into Mercola’s office in hopes of questioning him over his various scientifically-suspect claims. The office staff told Kaye that Mercola wasn’t there, and when she asked when he would be, she was told “he’s normally not here.”
Kaye then travelled to Mercola’s house, saying it was “more than 220 miles away” from the office. She tried asking for a word with Mercola over the house’s gate intercom, but later, she and her crew spotted Mercola while he was riding a bike around the neighborhood with his shirt off.
“Once he stopped, we thought this was our opening to get some answers as to why he’s pushing false claims about masks and the vaccine,” Kaye said in her narration.
Kaye approached Mercola, introducing herself and asking if she could ask him questions. Mercola said “no,” then proceeded to ignore Kaye while she tried to press him on the consequences of his anti-vax rhetoric.
Kaye then reported that she sent Mercola questions over email, which drew a statement from him that “I encourage every person to fully educate themselves to make individual decisions about medical risk-taking.”
He also rejected the charge of spreading misinformation.
Kaye went on by delving into Mercola’s various claims, and she concluded her report by noting that he just announced he will soon scrub all the blogs on his website. Mercola claimed he was being censored, accused President Joe Biden of launching a “McCarthyism like attack” against him, and said the New York Times made “false statements” about him in a recent article calling out his misinformation.
Watch above, via CNN.
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