Sigh. So depressing.
Trump and his personal enforcers have blocked Dr. Fauci from appearing on television or be a print source because he tells the truth about the most serious issue to impact this nation since 9-11, probably more serious than 9-11. Dr. Fauci speaks in scientific truths, and as we know, scientific truth often has a liberal bias.
Conservatism and especially Trumpism (which isn’t the same thing) relies heavily upon manipulating the message coming out of the media. Anyone who’s watched Fox News understands.
The sad summation is brought to us through the WaPo and Mediaite [1]:
The White House has blocked Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, from some appearances that he has requested to do in recent weeks, according to two people familiar with the matter. White House aides have argued that television interviewers often try to goad Fauci into criticizing the president or the administration’s approach, and that Fauci is not always good about “staying on message,” in the words of a senior administration official. Aides did allow Fauci to appear on CNN recently for a town hall, the official said.
See? The message is created in the White House (which is why Trump immediately ordered that all statements will come from the White House and not the CDC), while the truth is created in labs with tests and stats. Fauci has a hard time staying on the White House message because he sticks with scientific truth.
Fauci has done some interviews over the last two months, mostly for online and print publications. On June 12, he spoke with ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl on a podcast about Trump. In the interview [2], Fauci said, “I am consistent. I stick by what I say.”
When one relays the scientific truth it is easy to be consistent. The science is laid out in front of a person and the predictions follow the scientific variables going into the future.
It’s unclear if Fauci’s media “blackout” will continue now the White House Coronavirus Task Force has resumed public briefings, this week holding its first one in two months [3]. But the Post report does paint a clearer picture than what White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany has said about his media
From what we’ve seen in the past, the blackout will remain strict, if not more so. We see the state of Florida manipulating and suppressing cases. We see Trump admitting he said, “slow down the testing please.” There is no reason to think that the White House has any intention of letting Fauci or anyone else from the CDC release the totality of the information known, the best scientific predictions for what will come in the future, or recommendations for how to fight it from here on out.
This is a post-truth administration and we shouldn’t be surprised that the White House will not allow objective scientific truth to battle the propaganda flowing from inside the White House.
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Peace, y’all
Jason
[email protected] and on Twitter @MiciakZlm