Columns

In April 2020, The Harvard Kennedy School published a research article, The Relation between Media Consumption and Misinformation at the Outset of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in the US. The Article shows that Americans who relied on right-wing sources like Fox News, Breitbart News, One, America News, The Drudge Report or Rush Limbaugh, received misinformation about the pandemic, entertained conspiracy theories and discouraged them from taking concrete steps to protect themselves and others from the virus. 

Fox News provides Trump and the GOP with a television channel to distribute their “alternative facts” to entertain their loyal followers. To further this symbiosis, Trump looks to Fox News personnel for his staff and advice. For example, former National Security Adviser John Bolton was a former Fox News talking head; former state department member Heather Nauert was a former Fox News anchor; former communications adviser Mercedes Schlapp, a former Fox commentator, served as White House Director of Strategic Communications in the Trump administration and now works on the Trump 2020 re-election campaign; and Treasury Department spokesman Tony Sayegh, another former Fox commentator served as White House Senior Advisor for Strategy; and, of course, on-air personalities Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham are favorites of the president, who also speaks to them privately. And this month the former Fox News executive Bill Shine, who was pushed out over his handling of sexual harassment scandals at the network, was the White House deputy chief of staff for communications until he resigned to advise President Trump's 2020 presidential campaign. 

Fox News on-air personalities Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham are favorites of the president, who also speaks to them privately. To put it charitably, Trump’s response to the pandemic has been inept; he has constantly downplayed its seriousness and undermined efforts to control the virus. In short, Trump abandoned his post. 

Steve Bannon, former executive chairman of Breitbart News, served as White House Chief Strategist during the first seven months of Trump's term. 

In February, Trump awarded Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Limbaugh has been a staunch ally of the President's for years, and dined with him at his Palm Beach golf club over the holidays. 

Trump refuses to wear a mask and discourages others from wearing them thereby undermining efforts to reduce the spread of the virus. For example, he has held indoor rallies in Tulsa and Phoenix and Vice President Pence hosted one in Dallas where masks and social distancing were not evident. 

The right-wing media and Trump combined have encouraged COVID denialists, COVID conspiracy theorists, and right-wing fringe groups claiming government overreach. Recently, these right-wing fringe groups are harassing California county health officials who dare to impose mandates to stop the rapid spread of the coronavirus. Trump no longer mentions the pandemic as if it was no longer a national concern. 

Last month hundreds — some with weapons — protested against the Michigan state stay-at-home order. They were backed by wealthy conservative groups and promoted by Trump. The Michigan Freedom Fund, co-host of the Michigan rally, was funded by the family of Trump’s education secretary, Betsy DeVos, regular donors to rightwing groups. The other co-host, the Michigan Conservative Coalition, was founded by Matt Maddock, now a Republican member of the state house of representatives. The MCC also operates under the name Michigan Trump Republicans, and in January held an event featuring several members of the Trump campaign. 

Is it any wonder that the U.S. has 2.6+ million reported COVID-19 cases and 127,219 deaths with 40,000+ new cases daily? Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned that if the pandemic continues unabated, we can expect up to 100,000 new cases per day.