'This. Must. Stop.' Drew Holden hammers WaPo for disgracefully allowing Chinese ambassador 'to share CCP propaganda' [screenshots]

Given the number of times that D.C. comms strategist Drew Holden has blistered the MSM with damning threads, you’d think that firefighters would tread a little more carefully before deciding to push blatant pro-communist propaganda.

And you’d be wrong. Which is why Holden constantly has his hands full with garbage like this from the Washington Post:

This week, @washingtonpost gave opinion space to the Chinese ambassador, allowing him to share CCP propaganda in one of the most prominent US newspapers.

Clearly, fact-checking the piece wasn’t a priority.

So I made a thread pointing out the lies?https://t.co/gENOUwOZlC pic.twitter.com/aaU7XHxLuN

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 7, 2020

Read it and weep for the sad state of our media:

First, @AmbCuiTiankai repeats the thoroughly debunked lie that China “spared no expense to save lives.”

What they did was spared no expense to save face. They could’ve prevented nearly 100% of global cases had they acted otherwise. https://t.co/exWT86Mw4s pic.twitter.com/M5p0lw95bq

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 7, 2020

Next, the idea that China has been taking steps consistent with human rights.

We’ve all seen the videos, but there’s good reporting to debunk this lie, too, including this from @AJEnglish https://t.co/aSNJ6B4HUx pic.twitter.com/yb5RQ3HpS2

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 7, 2020

From that same segment, there’s also the idea that China has been unfairly maligned about providing updates.

Only problem is, their lies about their numbers are public knowledge. China has even stealth-updated the counts accordingly. https://t.co/MYylrab9gM pic.twitter.com/XvpBNjM9J9

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 7, 2020

Again, the delays and coverups from these accusations have been thoroughly reported on. This @WSJ piece is a great myth buster: https://t.co/NNmpRTsrIG

China is attempting to push that knowledge down the memory hole, and @washingtonpost is giving them real estate to do so. pic.twitter.com/3zufqNP3pu

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 7, 2020

The reason China was blamed for providing “second rate supplies” is that dozens of countries have rejected China’s supplies b/c they either a) contained the virus or b) simply didn’t work. @washingtonpost has reported on this. Why did they permit this lie? https://t.co/JJ5CBhvqxn pic.twitter.com/zx0QJ3fWHU

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 7, 2020

There are books to be written about the colossal failure of @WHO and @DrTedros. This account from @WIRED is a good start for what China is doing: https://t.co/RcYzNFMYQ1

As is this @DailyCaller deep dive from @peterjhasson: https://t.co/ypZzSmYqJF pic.twitter.com/iJ9nIo4qqF

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 7, 2020

So now we get to the meat of @AmbCuiTiankai’a claims.

First: China did its best.

That’s a lie. Multiple pieces of contemporaneous reporting from @WSJ, @axios & beyond show that 95% of global cases could’ve been avoided if China hadn’t screwed up. pic.twitter.com/hAKf0o5E0u

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 7, 2020

Second: China acted as quickly as it could have.

This is also a lie. @WSJ reports multiple delays that cost the world precious days to respond as China struggled to save face. Screenshots from the piece below. https://t.co/NNmpRTsrIG pic.twitter.com/7mK7TE4dnB

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 7, 2020

Third: China shared all they could with the US and others.

Again, this is a lie. As @nytimes reports on Feb 7th, China deliberately blocked CDC and WHO personnel until well after the virus reached America. https://t.co/J2Pgqkg9kd pic.twitter.com/JC8WQObp4y

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 7, 2020

This suggestion is just intellectually and morally bankrupt. Whether or not the first victim was in Wuhan does not absolve the Chinese government of their catastrophic handling of the pandemic. pic.twitter.com/mlGuzmNOxI

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 7, 2020

A similar sentiment in the next paragraph.

Again, this is about culpability, something that China is using the pages of a prominent American newspaper to obfuscate. pic.twitter.com/sCwA8JYXnj

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 7, 2020

Back to the CCP talking points.

The entire problem – and why accountability is so important here – is that China can’t be trusted to act in good faith. We can’t “decouple” fast enough. pic.twitter.com/5kEUkngeIv

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 7, 2020

Our shared future together requires an honest accounting of how we got here, and accountability from the country with blood on its hands from across the globe. @washingtonpost’s decision to allow themselves to be used as a conduit to propaganda and lies doesn’t help that. pic.twitter.com/ffC1jME0fm

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 7, 2020

So asking in good faith as someone also given the opportunity to share my opinions in your publication: @washingtonpost, why did you think @AmbCuiTiankai deserved the opportunity to write this piece?

Why didn’t you correct his lies, even when they contradict your own reporting?

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 7, 2020

Well, there’s this to consider:

Also, PS – the first suggested link was Max Boot basically making the same argument. pic.twitter.com/TunJJNyJUC

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 7, 2020

Oh.

As I’ve said repeatedly, and will continue to shout to anyone who will listen: no one should be taking the words of an autocratic regime at face value, especially when they have blood on their hands, and lives are on the line.

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 7, 2020

And we need to keep holding US media accountable when they capitulate to Chinese pressure.

China is spreading lies. And it does irreparable harm when the media in free countries carry water for them.

This. Must. Stop.

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 7, 2020

Some parting advice for WaPo — and for any other outlet contemplating pulling something similar: Check yourselves before Drew Holden wrecks yourselves.

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