Sorry if this is sort of a repeat of an earlier post in which CNN’s Jake Tapper pondered what a study would find about how many lives would have been saved if President Trump had worn a mask back in February and March as he did Saturday during a visit to Walter Reed. But it’s interesting to see the narrative form: The media has bashed Trump for not wearing a mask for months, and the day when he does, the reaction is, how many people died because he waited this long to wear a mask in public? There’s always a negative spin to be found.
Since it’s a bit of a repeat, we’ll repost this classic from failed presidential candidate Eric Swalwell from March:
Stop wearing face masks. #coronavirus
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) March 4, 2020
Instead of Tapper, though, this time we have a blue-check doctor from the University of Toronto wondering how many lives could have been saved if President Trump had worn a mask four months ago, when all the experts were telling us not to wear masks and to save them for front-line medical workers.
Wonder how many people would still be alive if he’d done this 4 months ago. https://t.co/DEYaYN3IRC
— David Juurlink (@DavidJuurlink) July 11, 2020
And yet the governor who has 6,200 dead nursing home patients because he mandated that long-term care facilities re-admit COVID-19 patients is praised with a 72 percent approval rating for his handling of the coronavirus. Why is no one asking how many would be alive today without that order in place?
What an assisnine take.
— DeanRobertK (@DeanRobertK) July 11, 2020
4 months ago guidance was not to wear masks
— Michael Donohue (@donohueranch) July 11, 2020
What did Fauci say 4 months ago?
— Gordie (@BfgGordie) July 11, 2020
is this the same four months ago when fauci and the rest of the public health "experts" were telling people not to wear masks?
— ob1156 (@ob1156) July 11, 2020
You mean when the surgeon general and Fauci were saying not to wear masks and Dems were telling people there was nothing to worry about?
— Jason Jones (@psujwj) July 12, 2020
Dr. Fallacy and the Surgeon General said to save the masks for first responders.
— Matt ?? (@Xenos_on_ice) July 11, 2020
Fauci – 60 minutes 5/29/20 – Masks don't work pic.twitter.com/EoLAgZ8OeN
— Deplorable Covfefe @Sstroud on Parler (@Reds_Herring) July 12, 2020
He wore the mask in the one place where it makes sense. The answer to your question is the same number of people would be alive today if he did this 4 months ago. Also great to see you read your @jaketapper talking points – or maybe it is vice versa?
— Michael Campbell (@campbellmi) July 11, 2020
Well considering he didn't die and as far as we know didn't infect anyone else by not wearing a mask I'm going to guess the exact same amount that are alive today
— Bryce Fortner (@Orange_Blue_Red) July 11, 2020
Exactly the same number as today.
— Iditarod Rik (@attyrik) July 11, 2020
Same number as today.
Read the “science”
— JosephM1115 (@JMartin1115) July 11, 2020
No difference
— Country-fiedMD (@Country_fiedMD) July 11, 2020
Easy. The exact same number would be alive. Ridiculous question.
— Jerad H ?? (@Jerad_Huep) July 11, 2020
Now Trump has to tout masks as 100% effective so the media will report on the studies you just mentioned.
— Darren (@pensfan100) July 11, 2020
Given that he’s not contagious, exactly the same
— 40th Street Black (@fortiethstreet) July 11, 2020
The same as there are today.
— Orange Weasel (@WeaselOrange) July 11, 2020
Considering his mask only protects others, and then only if he were infected and coughed or sneezed… let’s see 0 x 0, carry the 0… the answer is ZERO! pic.twitter.com/TLx4xEd7FF
— Mary K (@marykinva) July 11, 2020
The correct answer is "exponentially zero".
— Wesley Thomas ⭐⭐⭐ (@Wesihcfan) July 12, 2020
Negligible effect at best. Wonder how many people would be alive if woke culture hadn't demonized closing borders as evil, as opposed to necessary in certain circumstances, including curtailing a fast spreading virus.
— Michael Schofield (@M_J_Schofield) July 11, 2020
Four months ago, the 'experts', including Dr. Fauci, told us not to wear masks.
BTW, what was happening in March (four months ago?
Oh, yeah: https://t.co/Bsqm0XP4Kx
— Marie Arf – China lies, don't trust their numbers (@schwingcat) July 11, 2020
Masks work. Los Angeles has had a mask mandate in public since May 14 and has completely eradicated the virus.
— Buddy Revell (@revell_buddy) July 11, 2020
That a person in your position is so lost to ideology and his own virtuousness that they view the public as nothing more than unthinking drones to the point that you'd publicly announce it in this way is as revealing as it should be embarrassing.
— Me (@NeolithicBarber) July 12, 2020
In your position especially, you should be ashamed of yourself for attempting to politicize epidemiology while promoting the pseudoscience and quackery of mass mask-wearing.
But that's just what people like you do.
— Hans im Glück (@Alpenstrudel) July 11, 2020
Why would you "wonder"? You are a researcher. Surely you have the data that would spell out exactly what the human toll would be no?
Or possibly you are just pondering aimlessly. Which is it?— ALeX???? (@alankatb) July 12, 2020
I wonder how many people would still be alive if Cuomo and other blue state governors didn't send covid+ to nursing homes.
— Sentinel (@3Sentinel4) July 11, 2020
Wonder how many people would be alive if the media, politicians and even some in the medical community hadn't demonized Hydroxychloroquine after Trump promoted it.
— Greg. American Revolutionary. (@Gregonimo) July 11, 2020
LOL. The same amount.
Masks aren’t effective against Covid.But the media’s all out onslaught against #Hydroxychloroquine definitely cost thousands of lives.
— Audacious Pundit (@AudaciousPundit) July 11, 2020
David you can’t be that stupid.
— Sandy Brogan (@Sandinator) July 11, 2020
What’s funny is how damn fast both Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden updated their social media avatars to show them wearing masks the minute the guidance changed. Why hadn’t either of them led the way and promoted mask-wearing four months ago?
Related:
Jake Tapper contemplates how many lives would have been saved if President Trump had worn a mask in February and March https://t.co/jk029O0QDg
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) July 11, 2020
