‘There are signs he is tired of warnings from scientists and doctors as the economy implodes…’
(Joshua Paladino, Liberty Headlines) The Washington Post fact checked former Vice President Joe Biden‘s presidential campaign and awarded it “Four Pinocchios” for the false claim that the Trump administration “silenced” an health official from raising coronavirus concerns.
This is Biden’s second “Four Pinocchio” statement since the health crisis began.
Biden tweeted a video on March 21 that contained the false statement made by Ron Klain, a Biden aide who formerly served the Obama administration by leading efforts to curb the Ebola virus, the Washington Post reported.
Everyone knows that we’re facing a real crisis from the coronavirus. But do you know how we got here and what we need to do next? Ron Klain, former White House Ebola Response Coordinator, breaks it down for us: pic.twitter.com/XRkIw2EzM4
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) March 21, 2020
Klain claimed that the administration refused to let Nancy Messonnier, a physician with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, speak about the coronavirus after she made alarmist statements in her initial warning to reporters.
“It’s not so much a question of if this will happen anymore but rather more a question of exactly when this will happen and how many people in this country will have severe illness,” she said, fueling hysterical speculation.
Messonnier’s remarks irritated and shocked the president, especially as the economic fallout began.
“Starting the next day, Dr. Messonnier no longer appeared at public briefings of the White House coronavirus task force,” Klain said. “The president and the White House sent a clear message to scientists in the government—there would be a price for speaking out and speaking up.”
Klain lied.
“We concede that news reports indicate Trump was upset by her remarks—and that there are signs he is tired of warnings from scientists and doctors as the economy implodes,” the Washington Post reported.
“But that’s no excuse for this video to claim Messonnier was silenced when, in fact, she kept briefing reporters,” it continued. “Klain would have been on more solid ground to refer to the reporting that Messonnier’s message annoyed Trump.”
However, Messonnier’s boss, Anne Schuchat, the CDC’s principal deputy director, has continued to stand by the president during press briefings.
Messonnier herself continued telephone briefings with the press on Feb. 28, Feb. 29, March 3 and March 9 as well as on social media posts.
CDC Briefing Room: Dr. Nancy Messonnier gives an update on #COVID19. For more info visit https://t.co/pMpAwCPFVU. pic.twitter.com/6A8jvnVn0w
— CDC (@CDCgov) March 14, 2020