Mulvaney: Media Hypes “Hoax” Virus To Hurt Trump

The New York Times reports:

Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, on Friday blamed the media for exaggerating the seriousness of coronavirus because “they think this will bring down the president, that’s what this is all about.” Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual gathering of conservative activists, Mr. Mulvaney played down concerns about the virus that is spreading around the globe and panicking investors.

Mr. Mulvaney said the administration took “extraordinary steps four or five weeks ago,” to prevent the spread of the virus when it declared a rare public health emergency and barred entry by most foreign nationals who had recently visited China. “Why didn’t you hear about it?” Mr. Mulvaney said of travel restrictions that were widely covered in the news media. “What was still going on four or five weeks ago? Impeachment, that’s all the press wanted to talk about.”

Mick Mulvaney at CPAC: Coronavirus is the Dem’s new favorite hoax. They want to bring down the President.

– audience cheers

Also Mick Mulvaney at CPAC: you’ll probably see some schools close.

– audience cheers

Not a fucking cult, though.

— Angry Staffer (@AngrierWHStaff) February 28, 2020

Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, speaking this morning at CPAC, mentions a note from a reporter asking how WH will calm markets. “What I might do to calm the markets is turn the television off for 24 hours. This is not Ebola. It’s not SARS. It’s not MERS.”

— Peter Nicholas (@PeterAtlantic) February 28, 2020

Bizarre argument from Mulvaney at CPAC, saying the media doesn’t cover what a good dad Donald Trump is to Barron.

The White House specifically asks us not to cover Barron, who is 13.

— Annie Karni (@anniekarni) February 28, 2020

Mulvaney, meanwhile, downplayed fears at CPAC today and said the press ignored earlier WH efforts. “We were dealing with it…The press was covering their hoax of the day.” Denied as “completely false” that WH is trying to control messaging. https://t.co/eiQVzE3H6C

— Alexander Marquardt (@MarquardtA) February 28, 2020