That's it, everybody. Stop broadcasting the White House coronavirus pressers. They're dangerous.
Sure, cable news got a charge (and fabulous ratings) out of airing Donald Trump's "shows" live in 2016. And they've continued to do so since his Russian-assisted election. But now, Trump's White House briefings, and his tweets, are literally putting lives at risk.
Trump is not just beating his own chest in celebration of his (non-existent) wonderfulness, he's spreading disinformation that could kill. Case in point: He tweeted that a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin would fight COVID-19. In reality, taking those two drugs together is hazardous to your health. Plus, lupus patients, who take hydroxychloroquine for their disease, are now finding it scarce thanks to Trump-inspired pandemic panickers.
This is on top of the fact that Trump is using the briefings as a substitute for his shows. He needs adulation (hence the fact that everyone on the podium is forced to laud the Dear Leader), and he needs to put the press in its place. What he doesn't realize is that this is all backfiring on him in a monumental way. Outside of his cult, Americans are either throwing up all over him, or tuning him out and listening to their state and local officials instead.
Yes, we know the journalistic rule that everything a President does is newsworthy, so you have to cover it. But everything is different now. Trump is putting lives in danger. He needs to be stopped. Can the Secret Service make a citizen's arrest? We cats HISS.
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