October 29, 2020
Opinion: How Trump Used Fox News to Spin His COVID-19 Recovery
By Janisse Miles
President Donald Trump announced earlier this month that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19. Trump, who started downplaying the global pandemic months before national quarantine saying, “We don’t want to jump up and down and start shouting that we have a problem that is a tremendous problem” and “instill panic,” has gone on to mock his democratic opponent, Joe Biden, for wearing a mask throughout the presidential campaigns. With the election only a few weeks away and anti-Trump Americans relishing in the irony of the president getting the virus himself, what was the Trump campaign to do? The answer is: Spin the narrative.
Fox News, well known for giving a platform to Trump supporters like Tucker Carlson (who claims masks don’t work and calls those who wear masks cult-like), took on this challenge immediately. The days after the news broke, “Fox & Friends” came on bright and early to discuss how Trump would cure himself of the virus with hydroxychloroquine in hand. Hydroxychloroquine is defined as an immunosuppressive drug and anti-parasite used for treating malaria, lupus, and arthritis. As you may notice, COVID-19 is not on the list of illnesses the drug is proven to treat.
Dr. Qanta Ahmed of the NYU Langone Medical Center considers the drug to “have conferred [Trump] some protection,” and that hydroxychloroquine has been “unfairly vilified.” However, by “unfairly vilified” it is implied that she means it was unfair of the Food and Drug Administration to warn against using hydroxychloroquine to treat the virus, and revoke emergency authorization of the drug’s used in treating COVID-19.
While “Fox and Friends” was perpetuating the notion of a simple cure, Fox News host Steve Hilton claimed that Trump’s predicted quick recovery would be “a metaphor for the recovery of the country,” and show the American people that “We can get through this, we can come back.” All while ignoring the 220,000+ Americans who have been killed by the virus and cannot come back.
On October 4th, President Trump left Walter Reed Hospital where he was being treated for COVID-19 to ride around the area and wave to supporters.
On October 4th, less than a week after announcing his diagnosis and still receiving treatment, Trump was granted a temporary leave from Walter Reed Hospital to drive around with secret service. To do what, you ask? To wave at a crowd of Trump supporters. As one could imagine, medical professionals closely monitoring the virus were outraged by this stunt. Dr. James P. Phillips, an attending physician at Walter Reed, remarked in a since deleted tweet: "Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary Presidential 'drive-by' just now has to be quarantined for 14 days. They might get sick. They may die. For political theater. Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater. This is insanity."
White House Chief of Staff and regular on “Fox and Friends” Mark Meadows was eager to put a spin on the presidential outing when he made a guest appearance on the show. "A number of folks are trying to make a big deal about that,” Meadows said, “when I know myself and Secret Service details are with him every day and want him to return to the White House as expeditiously as possible."
While Trump was hospitalized, Meadows compared his own risk of working so closely with a contagious Trump to being in straight up war. In “a message to our military men and women," Meadows explained, "I'm not having bullets shot at me, and I may put myself at risk because of this virus. But the president is going to defeat this virus. I'm not putting myself in harm's way with bullets." He added: "This is an enemy that we will defeat and we will do that together, but those are the risks associated with this job." These are buzzwords. Trump supporters tend to be excited by nationalist ideals, which was part of what led to his presidency in the first place. By mentioning the military and comparing himself and Trump to soldiers, Meadows further encouraged the rallies and prayer circles outside of Walter Reed.
On October 5th, after being discharged from Walter Reed, the president returned to the White House with a newly gained perspective of himself as one of the virus’ victims. Without wearing a mask. "Don't be afraid of Covid. Don't let it dominate your life," he instructed his Twitter followers, many of whom were already “anti-maskers” and don’t take the virus seriously. Instead of holding the president accountable for his failure to protect the people around him and the United States as a whole, Trumpists only seemed to dig their heels in and blame the World Health Organization, liberals, and of course, China for the virus. “Who do you think brought this into the country?” asked local Pennsylvanian Trump supporter simply known as Mr. Girvin. “Joe Biden has enough nerve to say Donald Trump’s killing people? No. The far-left liberals are causing
In the presidential suite at Walter Reed Hospital, President Trump signs his name in sharpie on a blank piece of paper to demonstrate his productivity during his recovery.
this. The Pelosis, the Soroses and all these people, that’s who caused it. And I wish them all the worst.” As The New York Times stated, “Scoffing at masks, social distancing and crowd avoidance — all measures recommended by health experts, including in the Trump administration — has become a test of loyalty for fervent supporters of the president.”
When it was announced that Trump had tested negative for COVID-19, there was a cloud of doubt around the matter. For starters, house physician Sean Conely never clearly stated what test was run, nor did he mention which consecutive days Trump tested negative. The circumstances around this test caused so much apprehension that the Food and Drug Administration couldn’t even say how accurate the results were. But of course, to rile up his supporters once again, Trump went on Fox News to claim that he was now immune to the virus, despite it still being generally unclear whether or not a person can contract it twice. Despite that uncertainty, the newly “immune” president flew to Florida to attend a rally with no indication of new safety procedures in place.
The irony of the President’s predicament could’ve been a harrowing experience for him, and in turn, his supporters. However, both Trump and many of his supporters have been known to dismiss scientific evidence. In response to the warnings of the World Health Organization, Dr. Fauci, and others in the field, Fox News becomes a safe haven to Trump’s supporters. They don’t have to listen to FDA Warnings or PPE reminders -- Instead they can listen to Dr. Conely tell them that the president is fine and nothing is really going on besides liberal fodder trying to scare them. As misinformed as it is, it’s a comfort to those afraid of what’s going on in the world. Being immersed in the narrative that danger isn’t real and whoever says otherwise is lying, is a powerful coping mechanism. Powerful enough to keep the lights on at Fox Studios, powerful enough to possibly keep Trump in office, and powerful enough to allow more people to die of the virus. And in the end, nothing has changed.