Donald Trump absolutely lit up his own Coronavirus Task Force press briefing with a more than six-minute, tour-de-force media takedown that had CNN and MSNBC sputtering and reaching for the plug.
Trump said hello and turned the media briefing over to the NIH’s Dr. Anthony Fauci to clarify his words uttered on CNN on shutting down the country earlier to prevent more deaths.
Then, Trump took over and it was ON. He listed the timeline of his response to the coronavirus and presented a video of incorrect statements by the press on COVID-19.
It was more than the Trumpiest of Trump updates, it was a Trump-de-Force:
President Trump gives a Timeline of his Coronavirus Response: pic.twitter.com/ocOVcg4tmH
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) April 13, 2020
The video looked like a professional ad:
President Trump plays campaign-style video at press briefing defending his response to coronavirus pandemic
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) April 13, 2020
MSNBC and CNN, which usually begin taking the updates only after Trump has spoken, stayed with for Fauci and, when Trump began bagging on the media, bugged out early:
Hilarious! CNN can dish it out but can’t take it. They just dumped out of the WH Coronavirus Task Force briefing bc the president is exposing their rank bias.
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) April 13, 2020
CNN reported that Trump was lying:
CNN's John King calls Trump's video that was just shown in the press briefing room, highlighting how the media downplayed the coronavirus and the steps he took early on in the pandemic, "propaganda": "It was cherry-picked." pic.twitter.com/vQG6bEjBFg
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) April 13, 2020
MSNBC was left reaching for the plug.
MSNBC cuts coverage and Ari Melber says they won’t return to the press briefing until they actually start talking about the Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/zWqpFOVRtR
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) April 13, 2020
The cutaway did not go unnoticed:
“Trump is playing a video right now of how the media downplayed the coronavirus and how Democrat governors have praised him for working with them
CNN and MSNBC immediately cut away from the press conference because they don’t want their viewers to see what is really happening.”
Trump is playing a video right now of how the media downplayed the coronavirus and how Democrat governors have praised him for working with them
CNN and MSNBC immediately cut away from the press conference because they don't want their viewers to see what is really happening
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) April 13, 2020
But they were the only ones who didn’t like it. Most people thought it was hilarious.
Fox Business’s Charles Payne admired Trump’s moves:
“I have to admit this video of media coverage and the White Housing handling of coronavirus crisis caught me off guard. The timing, however, is perfect.
Well played.
Well Played, indeed.”
I have to admit this video of media coverage and the White Housing handling of coronavirus crisis caught me off guard. The timing, however, is perfect.
Well played.
Well Played, indeed.— Charles V Payne (@cvpayne) April 13, 2020
And on and on it went.
Holy crap. Trump made a video of media clips destroying media narrative of Covid-19.
He is showing it LIVE at the coronavirus press conference.
This is bloody epic. The whole world just watched this.
Bravo.
— Kambree (@KamVTV) April 13, 2020
CNN is treasonous. Look at this F—ing lower-third! pic.twitter.com/4x2fBpyLGj
— Ali (@ali) April 13, 2020
Trump knows that millions of Americans appreciate this in-your-face message to the media.
How the media will respond after this is anyone’s guess.
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