Ever since Friday night we’ve had a lot of the media declaring that President Trump called the coronavirus a “hoax,” and political opponents like Speaker Nancy Pelosi are complaining that Trump’s response has been “too late” and “anemic,” while simultaneously claiming he’s been using “scare tactics” about people entering the country from affected areas.
It’s important to remember, though, that Trump pulled together a coronavirus task force in the midst of the circus that was his impeachment, and the biggest complaint the media had at the time was that the task force wasn’t diverse enough. Credit CNN for being the first with that hot take back in January: “… the recent photos of ‘the best experts’ telegraph the sorts of people the administration deems worthy of holding power — and even being in close proximity to it.”
On Saturday, Vice President Mike Pence gave an update on the progress being made by the coronavirus task force and included a photo.
Today we had a very productive meeting of the White House Coronavirus Taskforce in the Situation Room. We placed additional travel restrictions on Iran & we are increasing the travel advisory to level 4, urging Americans not to travel to specific regions in Italy & South Korea. pic.twitter.com/Npv5ADRijT
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) February 29, 2020
Ignore the text; what’s important to CNN’s Joe Lockhart is once again the lack of diversity among the task force:
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This room looks like America, that is America about 40 years ago. The strength of our country is diversity across gender, race, religion and ethnicity. If you wonder why these guys never seem to have a clue, just look at the faces around that table. https://t.co/HioUuvAkLh
— Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) March 1, 2020
Thank you for pointing this out. I don’t understand why this is not embraced by the majority of the population.
— Nicole Basarab (@nicbasarab) March 1, 2020
Because it doesn’t matter? Isn’t Lockhart a Democrat — the party that just settled on two old white men from the most diverse field ever?
It's more circa 1950s. Mad Men. Literally.
— JW (@jswebster) March 1, 2020
Yes, “literally.” It’s also “literally” “The Handmaid’s Tale” outside the room.
Make America 1955 Again!
— Kyri Claflin (@KyriClaflin) March 1, 2020
The insult to modern America is intended. #TheCrueltyIsThePoint
— Ron (@Ronnie_XXIII) March 1, 2020
It's not that they're all white, male and over fifty (that would be racist, sexist and age-ist) — It's that they're all Republican.
— RMF (@tilt_Tilt_BLAM) March 1, 2020
You think a pix of all your male yes men is gonna make us feel secure? Let the experts take over. You being in charge is more deadly than the virus.
— Nancy Lee Grahn (@NancyLeeGrahn) February 29, 2020
Why no women in the room helping to address the #coronavirus crisis?
— NoKoolAid (@NoKoolAidNow) March 1, 2020
Pence has no business leading this. Why not one woman in meeting?
— MollysMomma (@MollysMahma) March 1, 2020
Guys. All of them. So it's a sausagefest. Not a panel of experts.
— ONGOING SLAUGHTER (@PublicOutcrySy) March 1, 2020
“Guys” being the operative word.
— AndShePersisted (@ipasuuple) March 1, 2020
Praying they get infected.
— Hercules C. Rockefeller (now verfied) ? (@LiezJKC) March 1, 2020
Yeah, real leadership putting restrictions on travel. That is the lowest hanging fruit in this crisis.
— Debra Kolb (@saysroxy) March 1, 2020
You did nothing.
— Qgirl (@Qgirl50) February 29, 2020
Absolutely nothing
— Sherified (@sherified) February 29, 2020
That’s the spirit. We found one … one … positive response.
Thanks for the update. Good leadership. Praying for you guys.
— Jeff (@catoyescaesarno) February 29, 2020
That's funny.
— Sophiesmother95 (@sophiesmother95) February 29, 2020
Yeah, funny to those who are hyper cynical, who hate so much they can´t see we have a huge challenge and that getting behind our leaders for this this challenge is the right thing to do.
Very funny to those who´d rather manifest their hatred…. than for the USA to succeed
— Jeff (@catoyescaesarno) February 29, 2020
If the room were filled with Asian women in lab coats, they’d still be complaining there wasn’t enough diversity, and if it were black women in lab coats, they be accusing Pence of staging the photo … so what’s the point?
Related:
CNN concerned with lack of diversity on Trump’s coronavirus task force, especially as the country approaches 2020 election https://t.co/RqFWmAtCLM
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) January 31, 2020
