MSNBC stands by airing Trump coronavirus briefings live despite calls to cease from network anchors

MSNBC defended its editorial decision to air the White House Coronavirus Task Force briefings, even though a number of its most popular anchors have publicly urged cable news networks to stop. The daily briefings, which generally last more than an hour, allow for members of the task force to speak and take questions from reporters, but some MSNBC personalities have called on the network to end its practice of airing them live, claiming President Trump uses the platform to push "misinformation." "It’s an editorial decision made on a day-to-day basis depending on the news of the day — the MSNBC editorial team always has and will continue to fact-check the appearances with our team of analysts and medical experts," an MSNBC spokesperson, who did not respond to additional questions about the anchors' commentary, told the Washington Examiner Tuesday. The network's most-watched anchor, Rachel Maddow, explained last month that if the decision were left to her, she would not air the briefings live because "it’s going to cost lives." “If it were up to me, and it’s not, I would stop putting those briefings on live TV. Not out of spite, but because it’s misinformation. If the president does end up saying anything true, you can run it as tape," she said during her show on March 20.

About a week later, Chris Hayes, who precedes Maddow in the network's prime-time lineup, issued a similar rallying cry against the “propaganda sessions," which he said allow the president to push "misinformation and lies" while similarly noting that it's not his decision to make. “It’s obviously above my pay grade, I don’t make the call about whether we take them or not,” Hayes said on his show. “But it seems crazy to me that everyone is still taking them when you got the MyPillow guy getting up there talking about reading the Bible.” Hayes was referencing Trump's decision to bring MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell to the podium say a couple of words about his company’s plan to produce 50,000 face masks daily, which coincidentally was the moment at which CNN cut away from its coverage of that day's press conference.

A day later, MSNBC's Chuck Todd preemptively issued a warning to his viewers before going live to that day's briefing, saying, “We know these briefings have a tendency to veer in a lot of directions. Not all of them are informative or relevant in the midst of this crisis.” The next hour's host, Ari Melber, explained the decision to cut away, telling viewers, “We cut off the president at this juncture because we have gotten a great deal of information as well as other statements, and we’re going to go through it for you."

Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough became the most recent network personality to question why MSNBC has been covering the briefings during his show on Tuesday. He argued that if reporters "ask the president a question he doesn't want to answer," he will move "on to somebody else who will ask him an easier question." "Why do we carry them live two hours every night?" he wondered.

Deputy White House press secretary Judd Deere previously called MSNBC and CNN's decision to selectively air portions of the briefings "pretty disgraceful."

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/msnbc-stands-by-airing-trump-coronavirus-briefings-live-despite-calls-to-cease-from-network-anchors

Acting Navy chief resigns after insulting ousted captain of coronavirus-hit aircraft carrier

Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly offered to resign as he faces criticism for remarks he made about the USS Theodore Roosevelt’s former commander, Capt. Brett Crozier. Modly submitted a resignation letter on Tuesday, which Defense Secretary Mark Esper accepted, after a one-on-one meeting. "Secretary Modly served the nation for many years, both in and out of uniform. I have the deepest respect for anyone who serves our country, and who places the greater good above all else," Esper said in a statement. "We must now put the needs of the Navy, including the crew of the Teddy Roosevelt, first, and we must all move forward together."

Several lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, called for Modly to be removed for a speech he gave to the vessel's crew members on Monday, which was leaked to the media, during which he said Crozier was either “too naive or too stupid to be a commanding officer of a ship like this.” Crozier was relieved of duty after a letter expressing his worries about a coronavirus outbreak on the ship was published in the media. Officials asserted that Crozier had purposely allowed the letter to be leaked to the media. Undersecretary of the Army James McPherson has been picked to succeed Modly. McPherson is a retired admiral with 26 years of naval service. Esper said in his Tuesday letter that McPherson is "a smart, capable, and professional leader who will restore confidence and stability in the Navy during these challenging times."

The leaked audio of Modly addressing crew members on the USS Theodore Roosevelt soon went viral on the internet. The secretary could be heard blasting Crozier to his former crew. “I’m gonna tell you something, all of you: There is never a situation where you should consider the media a part of your chain of command,” Modly said. “Because the media has an agenda, and the agenda that they have depends on which side of the political aisle they sit, and I’m sorry that’s the way the country is now, but it’s the truth. And so they use it to divide us and use it to embarrass the Navy. They use it to embarrass you.” "If he didn’t think, in my opinion, that this information wasn’t going to get out into the public, in this day and information age that we live in, then he was either … too naive or too stupid to be a commanding officer of a ship like this. The alternative is that he did this on purpose," he added.

Modly offered an apology to Crozier on Monday. “I want to apologize to the Navy for my recent comments to the crew of the TR. Let me be clear, I do not think Captain Brett Crozier is naive nor stupid. I think, and always believed him to be the opposite,” he said. Defense officials said that Crozier’s removal was because the letter was purposely distributed to the media and was written improperly. “The letter was sent over not-secure, unclassified email even though the ship possesses some of the most sophisticated equipment in the fleet,” Modly said at a Pentagon press conference on Thursday.

In addition to the lawmakers who had pushed back on the Navy's decision, sailors aboard Crozier's former ship cheered as he was escorted off the aircraft carrier after it docked in Guam for testing on Thursday night. Videos posted to social media showed throngs of people seeing Crozier off. President Trump said on Monday he was going to “get involved” in the matter and characterized the dispute as “two good people arguing.” Sending the letter was a bad decision that caused the families of those aboard the ship to worry, Trump said, adding that “it shows weakness.” “Look, the letter shouldn’t have been sent. Certainly, they shouldn’t have been leaked,” Trump said. “This is a military operation. I must tell you, I’ve heard very good things about the gentlemen, both gentlemen, by the way. I will say this about both gentlemen. And I may look into it only from the standpoint that something should be resolved. I’m hearing good things about both people.” The Office of the Secretary of Defense did not comment on the matter when contacted by the Washington Examiner. As of Tuesday, 230 crew members on the ship have tested positive for the coronavirus.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/acting-navy-chief-submits-resignation-after-insulting-ousted-captain-of-coronavirus-struck-aircraft-carrier

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