The media have been afflicted with a raging case of Katrina virus.
There’s no known cure for the self-inflicted disease as long as a Republican occupies the White House, but political experts say the Katrina virus will instantly reverse course if a Democrat ascends to the nation’s highest office.
As you may be aware, “Katrina moment” is to disasters is what Watergate is to corruption. Anything can be a Katrina moment if you add enough sizzle from the media.
The “Katrina moment” never quite stuck to any number of President Obama’s missteps from Benghazi to the H1N1 outbreak. That’s what a fawning press will do for a president.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the media has been waiting for President Trump to do or say something in order to pin the Hurricane Katrina label on him.
Democrats in the news media say that President George W. Bush botched the response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. To the extent that Bush could convince the mayor of New Orleans and the governor of Louisiana to declare an emergency and order mandatory evacuations, then, sure, it was all his fault. Sigh. Bush was mocked for using the FEMA trailers for emergency housing after the storm, even though they’re often used for that purpose all over the country. He was blamed for failing to put all of the first responders in the direct path of the storm, instead of where they were stationed, just outside of the area to keep them safe until the storm passed but close enough to swarm the area. He was blamed for the levee failures. He was blamed for people staying in the 9th Ward when the storm surge flooded them out. Brian Williams pretended to see “bodies floating” in the French Quarter (a lie). Wolf Blitzer incited a racist narrative, calling the victims “so poor, so black.” Kanye West declared that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” Babies were being “raped” in the Superdome. On and on it went.
Unlike Trump, Bush never seriously pushed back on the unfair treatment in the press — to his and every other Republican’s detriment. While the mayor was eventually imprisoned for financial wrongdoing and the governor didn’t even bother to run for re-election because of her horrible response to the storm, it was easier for the media to blame Bush. “Katrina” became shorthand for an official’s disastrous response.
Now it’s Trump’s turn. After the media’s initial opening blows, such as calling Trump a racist for stopping air travel from China and for other early moves to stem the advance of the coronavirus, they believe they will eventually pin a Katrina moment on Trump.
Trump’s fighting back, but will it be enough to give him immunity to the media virus?
The BEST decision made was the toughest of them all – which saved many lives. Our VERY early decision to stop travel to and from certain parts of the world!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 9, 2020
CNN attempted to pin the Katrina moment on Trump after Hurricane Maria decimated Puerto Rico, but that didn’t fly, either.
But now the network appears to be hoping that Trump’s attempt to encourage calm about the virus is the “aha!” moment. Over the weekend Trump said there are enough test kits for a disease that didn’t exist until December, but it’s possible there may not be a kit for just anyone. Aha! Katrina moment.
CNN’s Chris Cillizza is on rumor patrol writing, “whispers have begun that President Donald Trump’s handling (or mishandling) of the ongoing coronavirus epidemic has the potential to have political consequences…” quoting Never Trumper Rick Wilson about this possibly being a Katrina moment.
A glimpse at the media shows they’re onboard for a Trump Katrina moment.
Screenshot/Google
There are more.
Screenshot/Google
There will be more predictions of a Katrina moment by later today. Everyone loves a parade – especially the media.
Trump isn’t having it, of course. And he’s pushing back.
So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 9, 2020
The only thing the Katrina virus-infected mob hasn’t pulled at this point is arranging for a coronavirus whistleblower, leaking to Adam Schiff and calling for a special prosecutor.
There’s still time.
