Comedian Chelsea Handler has joined the left-wing media’s attempts to block the public from seeing parts or all of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus briefings, saying that news organizations ought to consider if it’s “ethical” and safe to continue broadcasting the daily White House event.
The left-wing CNN and MSNBC have already begun cutting away from President Trump’s briefings, refusing to air the full press conferences. “All of us should stop broadcasting it, honestly,” MSNBC host Rachel Maddow said last month. “It’s going to cost lives.”
The three major broadcast networks — ABC News, NBC News, and CBS News — have followed suit, sometimes switching to other programming in the middle of the president’s briefing.
Chelsea Handler tweeted Sunday that President Trump is giving American’s “false information,” and that the news media are helping to spread his “misinformation.” She said news outlets should ask themselves if airing the press conferences is in the public interest, citing “ethical and health safety” concerns.
I think an ethical and health safety question all news orgs have to ask themselves—Is it responsible to air trump’s briefings every day, when he repeatedly gives Americans false information. We are in a pandemic and you are helping spread his misinformation. You are not Fox.
— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) April 5, 2020
Many news outlets have objected to President Trump’s vocal support of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Anecdotal evidence has shown the drug to be an effective weapon against the coronavirus, with the Food and Drug Administration recently issuing an emergency-use authorization for the treatment to be used on COVID-19 patients.
The president has also quarreled with reporters from CNN, NBC News, and CBS News during the briefings.
The media’s push to prevent the public from seeing parts or all of the White House ‘s briefings represents an ironic about-face after many news outlets repeatedly criticized President Trump for not holding enough press conferences prior to the coronavirus outbreak.
In November, CNN host Brian Stelter asked White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham on his show Reliable Sources: “Why don’t you restore the press briefings? Why don’t you come out and talk about the president’s accomplishments and take questions from reporters? That would be an actual show of strength.”
When recently asked by the Associated Press why it has stopped carrying the entirety of the White House’s coronavirus briefings, CNN said: “If the White House wants to ask for time on the network, they should make an official request. Otherwise we will make our own editorial decisions.”
The left’s push to block the White House’s daily press conferences come as President Trump’s approval rating has risen to the highest level of his presidency.
Follow David Ng on Twitter @HeyItsDavidNg. Have a tip? Contact me at dng@breitbart.com
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