Tim Blair: Leftists rejoice in Trump COVID-19 diagnosis
US President Donald Trump last week finally did something fully supported by his obsessive enemies in the media and beyond — he caught the deadly coronavirus, writes Tim Blair.
Opinion
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Every time you think leftists might almost be similar to normal human beings, they always go ahead and prove you wrong.
The coronavirus diagnoses last week of US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania provided just such an illustrative moment.
Seven News crime reporter Laura Banks jumped in with this instant online reaction to the news: “Lol.”
As word got out that multiple White House staffers had tested positive for COVID-19, the ABC’s Annabel Crabb fantasised about a vengeful left-wing Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg “mowing down Republicans” from beyond the grave.
“It’s been against my moral identity to tweet this for the last four years,” former Hillary Clinton spokeswoman Zara Rahim wrote, “but I hope he dies.”
“I really don’t want anyone to mistake me for a mean or callous person,” comedian and Netflix contributor Kate Willett added, “so let me just say that I hope Trump dies of COVID.”
After @katewillett wished for the death of President Trump she quickly deleted the tweet out of fear she would lose her account.
— Amy Mek (@AmyMek) October 3, 2020
Here it is.... https://t.co/yM2DNUjYn9 pic.twitter.com/ZCBgZwd5bj
“Thoughts and prayers are with the coronavirus at this difficult time,” former ABC journalist and Victorian Labor MP Mary Delahunty offered.
That note was a reply to ABC presenter Jonathan Green, whose Radio National audience is so small it could legally assemble in person at a Melbourne pub.
He does provide value, however, as an indicator of smug leftist ignorance.
“A reminder that it’s 3 in the morning still in Washington,” Green informed his Twitter fans following Trump’s announcement.
“America knows nothing of this yet.”
In fact, Trump’s coronavirus revelation was delivered prior to 1am US eastern time — when perhaps one or two people in Washington, New York, New Jersey and Florida might have been awake.
And it was not even 10pm on the west coast — which isn’t exactly a sleepy hour in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Jonathan seems not to know how America or time zones work. The US confuses him.
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A few years ago Green claimed that the US-based Fox News had “limited commercial worth”, which was an interesting way to describe something generating annual revenue in the multi-billions.
Gloating over Trump’s condition soon yielded to fear it was all a scam to either provide a way out for the President ahead of the election — or a way to win it.
“He’s an evil genius and I raise the possibility of him lying about having COVID-19 to prepare us and counteract his game,” documentary maker Michael Moore theorised.
“He knows being sick tends to gain one sympathy. He’s not above weaponising this.”
“A little shocked at how many normal, ostensibly smart, people I know who are convinced Trump’s having COVID-19 is a hoax,” popular YouTuber Casey Neistat, no supporter of Trump, wrote.
“Ostensibly smart” leftists tend to be wrong more often than not.
But what of those regular US citizens who happen to be middle-of-the-road Democrat voters? Surely they don’t share the wild fever dreams of their media representatives?
Sadly, a significant number of them do. According to a Morning Consult poll, 41 per cent of Democrat voters are “indifferent” about Trump’s positive diagnosis, while some 40 per cent reported they were “happy” about it.
It gets worse. Thirty-one per cent of Democrats said they were “excited”. Nice people.
Let’s hope Trump quickly recovers and returns to work, which now apparently requires a ritual daily denunciation of white supremacists.
Following last week’s first presidential debate, Trump press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was badgered on this by reporter John Roberts (from Fox News, by the way) during a White House briefing.
“Kayleigh, if I could start off, I’d like to ask you for a definitive and declarative statement without ambiguity or deflection,” Roberts began.
“As the person who speaks for the President, does the President denounce white supremacism and groups that espouse it in all their forms?”
“This has been answered yesterday by the President himself,” McEnany replied.
“Yesterday he was point blank asked, ‘Do you denounce white supremacy?’ And he said, ‘I’ve always denounced any form of that.’”
McEnany then provided examples of Trump doing so, including this, from 2017: “Racism is evil and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups.”
John Roberts asking Kayleigh McEnany if the President denounces white supremacists after she reads half a dozen quotes from the President denouncing white supremacists. 🤷
— Fukushima Exposed🇨🇦 (@fukushimaexpos2) October 1, 2020
pic.twitter.com/qFobQqGOrl
But that wasn’t enough for Roberts. The following exchange then took place:
Roberts: “To clear it up this morning, can you, naming it, make a declarative statement that the President denounces …”
McEnany: “I just did. The President has denounced this repeatedly.”
Roberts: “You read a bunch of quotes from the past. Can you …”
Further discussion ensued before Roberts returned to his obsession and McEnany again set him straight.
Roberts: “So Kayleigh, can you right now, denounce white supremacy and the groups that is …”
McEnany: “I just did. The President has denounced white supremacy, the KKK, and hate groups in all forms.
“He signed a resolution to that effect. The President just last week, perhaps you all weren’t covering it, but just last week expressed his desire to see the KKK prosecuted as domestic terrorists.”
Seems fairly clear. Meanwhile, the US press continues to cover for leftist rioters — or “peaceful protesters” — who’ve looted cities, torched buildings, attacked police and shot people.
White supremacists are a far more important topic.
Besides, who has time to look at violent leftists when everyone is so busy cheering for the coronavirus?