Well, folks, looks like we can put Crooked Media editor-in-chief Brian Beutler firmly in the “COVID19 Vaccines Are Bad If They’re Developed While Donald Trump Is President” camp:
Wow – Cunningham indicates he won't take a coronavirus vaccine if one is made available: "I've got questions" because he's seen "politics intervening in what should be driven by health and science."
"Yes, I would be hesitant." #ncsen
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) September 14, 2020
Journalists have a straight up choice to make: falsely portray people who say they would not blindly trust a Trump “October Surprise” vaccine as anti-vax cranks, or truthfully portray Trump as seeking to intervene in the vaccine approval process to boost his election odds. https://t.co/eOVF7M908H
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) September 15, 2020
Never mind that Brian Beutler is pretty obviously an “anti-vax crank,” at least a politically motivated one.
The Washington Examiner’s Philip Klein responded to Beutler’s petulant absurdity by making an important point:
If Biden wins, a vaccine comes out, and there is some right wing conspiracy mongering, it will be interesting to see all these liberals like @brianbeutler memory hole their irresponsible anti-vaxx flirtation. https://t.co/MYeGAKGtYf
— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) September 15, 2020
Needless to say, Beutler didn’t like being correctly called out by Klein:
Based on his thread, Brian Beutler seems to think people are extremely stupid. In fact, it’s almost as if he’s counting on it:
If FDA approves a vaccine after the election, many conservatives will freak out. Some on standard “vaccines cause autism” antivax conspiracy theory grounds, others on “ThE DeEp StATe suppressed the vaccine to hurt Trump” conspiracy theory grounds. Both will be false.
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) September 15, 2020
Vaccines don’t cause autism and the deep state isn’t manipulating the vaccine process to hurt Trump, but Trump is openly interfering with the approval process so he can announce and take credit for a vaccine before the election.
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) September 15, 2020
At the same time Trump’s made clear repeatedly that he has no problem hawking deadly or untested medicine if he thinks it’ll help him personally. I’ll leave it to you to piece together why conservatives like @philipaklein muddy these obvious distinctions.
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) September 15, 2020
Look, we both know what you're doing. I get it, you're a partisan warrior now. But people like you preemptively sowing distrust of vaccine for your own political purposes is going to have really damaging public health consequences. It's dangerous and irresponsible. Sad to see. https://t.co/Gv0KP87n8O
— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) September 15, 2020
Klein’s right, of course. Which only makes Beutler angrier:
As Cunningham said at the NC debate, if Fauci and Frieden and (on the political side) the non-crooked leaders of other democracies also say it’s safe, then liberals will be confident in saying it’s safe. But GTFO with this idea that maybe Trump isn’t a dangerous liar. https://t.co/abEC3XokvR
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) September 15, 2020
So here’s a test for Phil. If Trump makes the announcement and no independent public health experts (who aren’t also, like, Fox News contributors) vouch for the safety of whatever he announces, will Phil inject that inoculum into his children? https://t.co/wGR1U5USMF
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) September 15, 2020
In this very plausible hypothetical, where does Phil’s kid’s doctor get the inoculation? Or is it just injected by the Republican vote suppressor goon squads? https://t.co/JTgLiidwrS
— Michael Brendan Dougherty (@michaelbd) September 15, 2020
Conservatives are desperate so they’re acting like people were born yesterday, or too recently to remember the Trump Steaks presser or any of his many other vaporwear acts. Trump is going to lie to people, and they’re out here saying the real liars are people with working brains. https://t.co/mDiQxsUvYG
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) September 15, 2020
Geez, Brian. Maybe go back to bed.
How are these people never able to realize when they're having a public meltdown? Why would you not just turn your phone off for a bit when you start to lose it like Brian here? https://t.co/lV4T0mvjEw
— The Partyman (@PartymanRandy) September 15, 2020
That would be the smart thing to do. But Brian Beutler doesn’t like to do things the smart way.
I’m not surprised at Brian’s total ignorance of the vaccine development process, but it worries me that that that ignorance is shared widely enough that it doesn’t get called out more.
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) September 15, 2020
I think he knows and is lying. His readers don't. That's the grift.
— Nathan Wurtzel is a silly name, but it's mine (@NathanWurtzel) September 15, 2020
For what it’s worth, political communications firm president and Herman Cain campaign alumna Ellen Carmichael isn’t afraid to call Beutler out on his BS:
How many is "many?"
All I see are Democratic lawmakers and leftwing media figures promulgating baseless conspiracy theories that assume Trump has any say in things like clinical trials… and their activists saying they won't get a vaccine until Trump isn't in office. https://t.co/d0eRWb6WwK
— Ellen Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) September 15, 2020
Here’s how Beutler has decided to respond to Carmichael’s reasonable point:
Republicans pretending to object to (or have any standing to identify) “baseless conspiracy theories” is such a farce. How’s Herman Cain doing these days, Ellen? https://t.co/k9iuUXkdNv
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) September 15, 2020
Wow.
This is a truly sick response. When your politics have corrupted whatever sense of humanity you may have had, you tweet things like this. https://t.co/xRmwmEWzVj
— Ellen Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) September 15, 2020
I was disagreeing with you on the merits of your assumption about a group of people, and you had to go this low. If you were aiming to hurt my feelings with your response, you sure were successful.
— Ellen Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) September 15, 2020
We’d ask Brian if he’s proud of himself, but we already know the answer. He is. And that’s downright disgusting.
a conservative defends vaccines. a liberal uses it as an opportunity to attack her dead friend & former boss.
the discourse! pic.twitter.com/WSLYptLFTQ
— Logan Dobson (@LoganDobson) September 15, 2020
You’re doing great, Brian.
— Sean Agnew (@seanagnew) September 15, 2020
Who hurt you to make you this person?
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) September 15, 2020
i would expect a little more compassion and empathy from someone who puts “gun-assault survivor” in their Twitter bio.
perhaps you’re just a terrible person, Brian. https://t.co/vuSLbztGJP pic.twitter.com/xb2fAIf0uA
— Siraj Hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) September 15, 2020
Imagine being this spiteful and miserable. Get help.
— craig (@cobrabadger) September 15, 2020
Congratulations on being today’s Biggest Twitter Asshole, Brian.
You’ve won a sad, meaningless existence that brings shame to your family. Sorry the prize is only something you already had. https://t.co/4c2ahTSm7p
— Sunny McSunnyface (@sunnyright) September 15, 2020
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with an additional tweet.
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