***To read the full blog, please check out the complete post on NewsBusters***
Monday’s press conference on the continued spread of the coronavirus crisis saw President Trump strike a tone and a seriousness that few presidents had needed to do. While the media had been suggesting Trump was only concerned about stock market numbers, he admitted that the country might be headed into a recession. Despite the President’s new warnings to the American people about the crisis, ABC’s World News Tonight was still intent on scoring cheap political points.
ABC White House correspondent Cecilia Vega began the video portion of her report by chiding how “Despite widespread delays over testing and repeated mixed messages from his administration today, President Trump gave himself high marks.” That was followed up with a soundbite of Trump at the presser giving himself a 10.
“But the confusing messages from the administration continued,” Vega declared as she complained about Trump promoting federalism and allowing states to seek out medical supplies on their own and not be completely reliant on the federal government. “Telling them they should, quote, ‘try getting it yourselves.’ Asked about that today, the President did not back down.”
This actually exposed a fallacy in Vega’s argument. She complained about a slow federal government response and then complained about the states no longer being tied to that slowness. In the soundbite she provided, Trump even said: “If they can get them directly, it's always gonna be faster if they can get them directly if they need them, and I’ve given them authorization to order directly.”
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