CNN has praised coronavirus vaccines in recent months, but the liberal network was quick to raise concerns about the life-saving shots before the 2020 presidential election, when then President Trump would have benefited from it.
CNN recently used Trump to announce that he took the coronavirus vaccine as the impetus to embarrass Trump supporters, who remain skeptical. The liberal network published a segment that featured reporter Donie O’Sullivan speaking to Trump supporters who did not plan to participate.
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“The hesitation to vaccinate, partly fueled by dangerous misinformation, is greater among Republican and Trump voters than other parts of the US population,” O’Sullivan told viewers.
However, CNN has a history of skepticism about the vaccine when it fits the network’s liberal agenda.
, CNN has a history of skepticism about the coronavirus vaccine when it fits the network’s liberal agenda.
It all started on September 6, when vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris said during an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash that she would not trust an approved vaccine under Trump’s supervision.
“He created false expectations for the American people and families, although if he had listened to scientists and experts, he would have understood the seriousness of this and the power that he, as President of the United States, has to really save lives. And none of those were his priorities. His priority was to do whatever he thought was politically convenient. And therefore, no, I would not take your word for it. I would trust the word of public health experts and scientists, but not Donald Trump, “said Harris.
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Bash replied, “Let’s say there is a vaccine that is approved and even distributed before the election. Would you get it?”
Harris did not exactly endorse the vaccine she got three months later as vice president-elect.
“Well, I think that will be a problem for all of us. I will say that I would not trust Donald Trump. And I would have to be a reliable source of information that would talk about the effectiveness and reliability of everything he is talking about,” said Harris . “I will not take your word for it.”
Later that day, CNN reproduced an excerpt from Harris’ interview and prefaced it by saying “medical experts are skeptical” about Trump’s timeline.
“The CDC has been telling US states to prepare to distribute a potential coronavirus vaccine by the end of October. And President Donald Trump is saying that we could probably have it then. That’s what he said. Now, medical experts are skeptical. And so is Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris, “said CNN anchor Michael Holmes before broadcasting a portion of Harris’ comments.
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris receives the Modern COVID-19 vaccine from nurse Patricia Cummings, Tuesday, December 29, 2020, at the United Medical Center in southeastern Washington. (AP Photo / Jacquelyn Martin)
CNN later reproduced the Harris excerpt again, this time adding a new disclaimer.
“It is fair to imagine whether Americans will really trust a vaccine that appears to be hastily launched on the market,” said CNN anchor Kim Brunhuber, before showing Harris images again.
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CNN then called on medical collaborator Dr. Abdul El-Sayed to explain that Americans “have a reason to be concerned” when it comes to the Trump vaccine.
“Well, the American people are really focused on whether or not this vaccine came out of a scientific or political process. And people have reason to be concerned about what Donald Trump himself said and what we saw him do, in terms of putting pressure on his FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn to promote emergency use permits for things like convalescent plasma, “El-Sayed told viewers.
“I think Senator Harris is rightly pointing out that almost all scientists are concerned about the impact of politicizing this process and have told us that the likelihood of having a safe and effective vaccine coming out of this scientific process by October is extremely low. And, obviously, we cannot forget that the context of this is in the middle of an election season and there has been concern about a surprise in October, “continued El-Sayed.
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Trump adviser Jason Miller later spoke to Bash and accused Harris of questioning the vaccine’s legitimacy. The CNN anchor stepped back, claiming that Harris only questioned Trump, not the vaccine itself.
“What they are questioning is whether it will be safe, given the fact that our reports and those of others is that the president is putting pressure on scientists to do this quickly before the election, so it helps him in the election,” said Bash .
The next day, CNN’s Jim Acosta reported that Trump attacked Harris for spreading fears about a coronavirus vaccine, but the liberal reporter seemed skeptical of the vaccine.
“Trump used the White House, as you said, as a backdrop to the campaign, by suggesting once again that a vaccine might be available before election day, although health experts in his own administration have repeatedly said, do not bet in that”. Acosta said to create a footage of Trump’s comments on Harris.
“The president’s claims about an election day vaccine have been contradicted by his own health experts, who say this is highly unlikely,” Acosta said later.
Later, in “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” CNN reporter Jeremy Diamond defended Harris and denied Trump’s claims that she was against the vaccine.
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“Trump is mischaracterizing Harris’s response when asked if she would trust a vaccine promoted by Trump … Trump, who has repeatedly harmed public health experts and pressured government agencies to rush a vaccine, insisting that Harris is doing politics,” said Diamond . “Even as he continues to suggest, without any evidence, that a vaccine may be ready on election day.”
CNN anchor Jim Sciutto asked a medical expert on September 14, “How should people be sure that if and when it becomes available, it will be safe and is it because of science, not because of politics?”
CNN was back weeks later, when medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen said that people need to rely on the vaccine for it to be effective.
“For a vaccine to save lives, it needs to be safe and effective, but also reliable. People need to have confidence and understand that it is science that drives the process and not political pressure and manipulation,” said Wen on 30 September.
Before the election, CNN broadcast a recurring package in which Wen said that Trump’s rhetoric about wanting a vaccine before election day is dangerous.
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“It makes people who are not at all skeptical about the vaccine normally, it makes them skeptical about the vaccine,” she said.
CNN’s Kate Boulduan declared on September 24 that “there are so many people … concerned” with “vaccine approval policy injection”, while CNN analyst Jessica Huseman once mocked Trump for saying that the vaccine would be available in 2020.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shortly after the 2020 election.