The left-wing media is just fine with spreading propaganda from a foreign government, so long as it hurts President Donald Trump.
NBC News chief global affairs correspondent Bill Neely appeared on MSNBC Friday to literally spread Chinese propaganda in a segment to attack Trump over his administration’s handling of the coronavirus, a virus that originated in China.
Neely used the interview to parrot an article from China’s state-run media, a transcript of which was published by Newsbusters. MSNBC host Katy Tur set up Neely by asking if there was anything behind Trump “again” blaming China for the coronavirus pandemic, even though no one except China claims the virus started anywhere else. China claims the virus originated in the U.S., but all evidence points to it originating in Wuhan.
Instead of explaining why Trump is right to blame China for the virus, Neely described what China’s state-run media was saying in response to Trump suggesting the U.S. cut ties with China.
“…the coronavirus really is now the central battleground between the U.S. and China….and it’s often at the state media level that you find out what the Chinese are really thinking – a completely different reaction to President Trump’s suggestion of cutting off relations altogether with China. The Global Times, pretty influential newspaper, saying that this is lunacy, something that’s not been heard from any U.S. president. Saying it’s hardly surprising from a president who suggested injecting disinfectant into COVID-19 patients,” Neely said (emphasis added).
Neely then describe an “interesting point” made by Chinese state-run media:
But the really interesting point that they make in their editorial is about election strategy in the U.S. They are suggesting that panic is beginning to set in, in Washington, that President Trump will not be re-elected in November. And that the strategy now is to blame China for everything…
Neely also touted without hesitation China’s obviously false coronavirus statistics. Neely didn’t even attempt to suggest the numbers should not be taken at face value, as it is impossible that China’s numbers climbed rapidly and then just about fell to zero, as the communist regime suggests.
“China has not reported a single death from coronavirus for a month now. And today only reported four new cases in one cluster. So China definitely trying to argue from a position of strength that it has its pandemic under control. That’s what it says,” Neely said.
Full transcript, from Newsbusters:
KATY TUR: During this afternoon’s news conference at the White House, President Trump again blamed China for the pandemic and his trade adviser Peter Navarro also spoke out.
DONALD TRUMP: This came from China. It should have been stopped in China, before it got out to the world. We have 186, it’s been updated this morning, 186 countries are affected.
PETER NAVARRO: We signed a trade deal with them, and one of the things was stop stealing our intellectual property. Now we have credible information that the Chinese government is trying to steal our vaccine information.
TUR: Joining us now from London is NBC News chief global correspondent Bill Neely. So, Bill, is there anything behind these allegations?
BILL NEELY: Yeah, I mean, it’s interesting, Katie, the coronavirus really is now the central battleground between the U.S. and China. And China responding at a state level, really rather diplomatically, not saying very much except asking that America should cut out the cold war rhetoric.
But at a state media level – and it’s often at the state media level that you find out what the Chinese are really thinking – a completely different reaction to President Trump’s suggestion of cutting off relations altogether with China. The Global Times, pretty influential newspaper, saying that this is lunacy, something that’s not been heard from any U.S. president. Saying it’s hardly surprising from a president who suggested injecting disinfectant into COVID-19 patients.
But the really interesting point that they make in their editorial is about election strategy in the U.S. They are suggesting that panic is beginning to set in, in Washington, that President Trump will not be re-elected in November. And that the strategy now is to blame China for everything, that this will just get worse in the months leading up to November. And it’s calling on Chinese people to be prepared for Washington to indeed cut off relations in certain areas, like technology and like the economy.
Now, the interesting thing, as you will know, Katy, is that officials in Washington have been talking in recent days about the position of Chinese companies on the New York Stock Exchange, about removing Chinese companies from the U.S. supply chain, even about limiting Chinese students access to study science in the U.S. So there is, you know, some justification, if you like, for what The Global Times are saying. But they are basically preparing China for a long battle, not just obviously over trade, but over the coronavirus itself, in advance of November’s election.
Just one quick fact also, Katy, that’s interesting. China has not reported a single death from coronavirus for a month now. And today only reported four new cases in one cluster. So China definitely trying to argue from a position of strength that it has its pandemic under control. That’s what it says. Katy?
CHUCK TODD: Bill Neely, thanks very much.
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