Rep. Ilhan Omar calls Trump’s coronavirus press conferences a ‘train wreck’
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Rep. Ilhan Omar is not a fan of the coronavirus press conferences at the White House. The freshman rep from Minnesota became the latest Democrat to criticize the briefing as rambling and self-promotional.
MSNBC and CNN did not run the press conference in its entirety. Erik Wemple, the Washington Post's media critic, penned a column titled, “CNN, MSNBC refused to carry full Trump coronavirus briefing. Yay!”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Omar took to Twitter on Wednesday to call the press conference “disturbing to watch.”
“It’s not only the lies and spins that are disturbing, but the millions of people who watch this and actually believe this insane stuff. It’s like watching a train wreck happen and not knowing what to do,” she tweeted.
Trump has been joined by his coronavirus task force at these briefings to deliver the latest updates on the country’s fight against the new coronavirus.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Daily Beast reported that CNN’s president, Jeff Zucker, that CNN viewers should hear from coronavirus experts like Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx, who regularly appear alongside Trump at the briefings.
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The briefing has provided key information. On Tuesday, Fauci said projections indicate that 100,000 to 240,000 people could die from the virus in the U.S., even if current prevention measures remained in effect.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Don Lemon, an anchor at CNN, on Monday called for the network to stop running the press conferences.
“This has become- those press briefings have become his new 'Apprentice.' They've become his new rallies. And he treats the press and the media as if he's talking to the people at his rallies. It's the same thing. It's no different except the audience isn't there," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Joseph W. Wulfshon and Brian Flood contributed to this report