No Tucker. It’s Not Victim Blaming to Hold Trump Accountable.
Tucker Carlson is at it again with his wacky accusations and wild comparisons. This Friday, he claimed blaming Trump for his Covid diagnosis is no different than blaming victims of sexual assault for dressing provocatively.
No, Tucker. You’re wrong.
In the case of sexual assault, there’s another person to blame: the actual perpetrator. In the case of Covid, we’re talking about a virus. And while, yes, there is still so much we do not know, I think it’s safe to say that we should be relying on medical experts and researchers for how to best deal with this thing; not flouting guidelines, mocking safety measures, and knowingly downplaying the severity of it.
Holding Trump accountable for his reckless behavior is not victim-blaming, it’s truth-telling. Maybe you should try it sometime.
Fox & Trump Can’t Have It Both Ways
What a week last week. After months of flouting public health guidelines, President Trump and several members of his administration have tested positive for Coronavirus and the president is hospitalized at Walter Reed. In the moments after his Twitter announcement about his condition, social media was abuzz with many across the political spectrum speculating that his announcement was a hoax.
Days into Trump’s stay at Walter Reed, there are still more questions than answers. Doctors have given conflicting reports about Trump’s condition. Signaling on the one hand that his condition is serious (based on his treatment course), and on the other suggesting it was so mild he could be released as early as Monday.
President Trump is one of the most powerful men in the world and is THE most powerful person in the nation. His health outcomes have consequences for the entire country. And yet, the American people are getting conflicting reports on his wellbeing.
Meanwhile, we’ve learned that President Trump was likely aware he had Covid while attending events and exposing fellow attendees Thursday. Just this morning we’ve learned Kayleigh McEnany tested positive for the virus, after attending the presser yesterday maskless. And while cases of coronavirus rise nationally, research indicates Trump is the leading source of misinformation on coronavirus. That’s a big problem.
To date, over 200,000 Americans have died from Covid19. That number could have been far less had our country acted quickly to enact initial shutdowns and invested in PPE and contact tracing like much of the rest of the developed world. Instead, Trump and his cronies at Fox have repeatedly downplayed the crisis…until now.
I’ve noticed a marked change in coverage of the severity of Covid19 on Fox News since the president’s diagnosis. Suddenly, pundits like Hannity and Carlson are insisting that Covid19 is very serious. Why? Not to urge their viewers (who are more susceptible to dying from coronavirus) to take it seriously, but to admonish those who are celebrating Trump’s misfortune.
But Fox and the White House can’t have it both ways. Fox can’t praise Trump for downplaying health guidelines, mock masks, demand schools and businesses reopen and openly discredit Dr. Anthony Fauci and the CDC and then suddenly decide this illness is serious only when it suits them.
Truth matters. Let’s stop lies at the source. Here’s how.