PolitiFact and MediaWise are teaming up to debunk misinformation about the coronavirus crisis. To have Coronavirus Facts delivered to your inbox Monday-Friday, click here.
I’m Aaron Sharockman, the executive director of PolitiFact. I’m filling in for Alex this morning. I wanted to use today’s newsletter to highlight our work fact-checking the TV talking heads as part of our PunditFact project.
What we can say with certainty is that coronavirus misinformation doesn’t live just online and in your social feeds.
Take Fox News personality Jesse Watters. Watters has long been one of President Donald Trump’s biggest defenders, and when it comes to Trump’s handling of the virus, it’s no different.
“We were slow with the testing, but very quick with the travel ban. And that’s been much more critical in saving lives,” Watters said in a recent episode of Fox News’ “The Five.”
Watters is right that we were slow in testing (there are widespread reports of people still who want to get tested but can’t). But he’s wrong to say that the U.S. was
- Quick with a travel ban, and;
- That it’s been critical in saving lines.
Our partners at Kaiser Health News talked to medical experts and found that Trump actually moved too slowly to have a significant impact. And the travel restrictions had too many loopholes to be effective.
By the time the Trump administration imposed restrictions on people traveling from China or Europe to the United States, the virus had already reached communities here.
And while travel restrictions can buy a government some time in stopping viral spread, research shows, authorities need to put a dent in local transmission — by testing robustly, and then quarantining people who test positive.
Watters’ claim rates False.
Joy Behar wrongly says Trump shut down 37 global anti-pandemic programs
Trump has consistently proposed cuts to certain Centers for Disease Control and Prevention budgets, but the bills Congress ultimately passed, and Trump ultimately signed, have steadily increased funding for the CDC’s infectious-disease activities. See the fact-check»
No, MSNBC didn’t say it hopes coronavirus kills enough people to hurt Trump
“MSNBC actually said on air ‘I hope enough people die from coronavirus that it harms Trump’s re-election,’” a post claims. “No shame.” … actually, ‘No truth to that’ would be better»
Aaron Sharockman is the executive director of PolitiFact, the largest fact-checking organization in the United States. Aaron leads the growth and development of PolitiFact, manages its outreach and news partnerships, and oversees new initiatives and product development.
