Karl Fogel at
Responsible journalists shouldn't simply accept Trump's claim of having tested positive. It might be true; it might also be a tactic. Since he lies about everything, we can't just take his word. I hate saying it :-(, but to simply believe him is to be his stenographer again.
There are a few behavioral markers that indicate something is very wrong. Him halting tweeting for any appreciable length of time is a big one. The abrupt departure for the Walter Rees National Military Medical Center with no prior press statement is another. He went there without Melania.
Contact tracing indicates spread at the Amy Coney Barrett introduction event. Senators Lee & Tillis are both positive as well as Melania in addition to other staff who were front row at the event. Symptoms took several days to become apparent per what we know so far.
Contact tracing indicates spread at the Amy Coney Barrett introduction event. Senators Lee & Tillis are both positive as well as Melania in addition to other staff who were front row at the event. Symptoms took several days to become apparent per what we know so far.
Stephen Michael Kellat at 2020-10-03T02:19:33Z
Blaise Alleyne likes this.
Sure, there is some evidence. I'm just saying that reporters should evaluate that evidence -- much of which post-dates the initial moment at which most journalists started taking the WH assertion that Trump had COVID as fact.
My point is not that he doesn't have it. He probably does. My point is that just because he says something is not _in itself_ a reason to believe that thing is true. The initial reporting on this should have been "Trump says he has COVID" not "Trump has COVID".
Nothing the man says can be taken at face value. Lying is not the slightest effort for him -- he's made that perfectly clear over the last four years. He's earned that complete lack of credibility, and we should give him what he's earned.
My point is not that he doesn't have it. He probably does. My point is that just because he says something is not _in itself_ a reason to believe that thing is true. The initial reporting on this should have been "Trump says he has COVID" not "Trump has COVID".
Nothing the man says can be taken at face value. Lying is not the slightest effort for him -- he's made that perfectly clear over the last four years. He's earned that complete lack of credibility, and we should give him what he's earned.