Holiday hot topics: The effects of the coverage of Trump’s hospitalization

Editor’s Note: With 2020 being the hot button it is, we’re “leaning into the suck,” as Kelley Crawford put it, and giving you the topics of conversation you’d usually avoid during the holiday season. But with Covid cases rising, chaos in the White House, and the fifth rider of the Apocalypse (boredom) still trotting along, we’re no longer avoiding anything. So, here you go: politics, the inequity of the the healthcare system, and biased news coverage. Pass the wine and start talking! 

A not-so-funny reality of the medical system. (Meme: Cheezburger)

When numerous White House officials, notably President Trump, tested positive for Covid-19 and were forced to self-isolate, questions emerged about the Trump campaign’s adherence to public health guidelines. Mr. Trump’s diagnosis arrived at an inopportune time during the 2020 election as the President fervently touted the administration’s national public health strategy in the first Presidential debate. But he did not anticipate his own hospitalization. The coverage of President Trump’s Covid-19 diagnosis and subsequent hospitalization has blurred the lines between objective reporting and opinionated editorials, essentially politicizing an international public health crisis.

Initial reporting from the New York Times and CNN was characterized as impartial observations of Trump’s health; reporters attempted to continuously update the public on the health of Trump, relying on information released from the White House and the team of physicians who were treating Trump at Walter Reed Hospital. However, the validity of this information was questioned by many reporters as they received conflicting reports of the President’s health, notably whether he had received supplemental oxygen during his hospitalization and the exact time of his diagnosis.

The New York Times on October 1 offered a very informative depiction of the President’s current condition and the treatments he was receiving. The article does not fashion any argument as its sole purpose is to keep the public informed on the condition of the head of state.  Additionally, the writers utilized the expertise of certain health professionals to add context to the various therapies that President Trump had received. As the writers cited research from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), they provided their audience with as much detailed information as possible. According to the reporters, the rampant confusion within media outlets covering this issue was attributed to the misinformation disseminated by the White House.

The contents of another New York Times article included details from an interview with Mark Meadows, Trump’s chief of staff. Although  Trump shared an optimistic outlook on his health and capacity to govern, Mr. Meadows warned the nation that the President’s vitals were concerning. Mr. Meadows reported a more sober view of the President’s prognosis than the physicians at Walter Reed and the President himself. President Trump repeated his initial statements about his health and communicated via Twitter that he was confident in his ability to overcome the virus. Additionally, his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, released a statement about the President’s health, which included the President’s inevitable recovery, despite Mr. Meadows’s concern.  Although the New York Times offers a relatively bipartisan view of this event, the writers continued to question the accuracy of the information that they were receiving from the White House. Additionally, the article emphasized how the constant dissemination of misinformation has characterized this administration from the beginning. Reporters expressed their frustration with the coverage of, what is arguably, a national emergency that deserves accurate reporting.

Reporters from CNN were critical of the White House’s response to Trump’s hospitalization and, like those at the New York Times, were wary of the information released from the administration. This article released by CNN emphasizes concerns that the New York Times had with the dissemination of contradictory information regarding the President’s current condition. However, CNN took a far more partisan stance when reporting on these issues of transparency from the White House. CNN criticized  Trump’s poor response to the pandemic and his lack of attention to health guidelines promoted by Dr. Fauci and the Centers for Disease Control. The writers questioned whether Trump’s physicians were selectively choosing pertinent information to share with the public and the media.

Additionally, CNN reporters pointed out the discrepancies in the time of Trump’s diagnosis, that had initially been released to the public on October 2, and the report given by Dr. Conley on Sunday, October 4. There were ample details regarding the therapies and experimental treatments that Trump was undergoing; however, the article is left to speculate the severity of his diagnosis by correlating these therapies with severe Covid-19 cases. The writers continue to assert, based on the sheer magnitude of misinformation they have been receiving from the White House, that the then president’s administration is not being completely transparent about his condition or the severity of his physical state.

CNN quickly released articles after Trump left Walter Reed Hospital and pummeled the administration with a barrage of disapproving reports about how Trump has dealt with his own Covid-19 positive test.

A CNN follow up article about Trumps controversial drive around Walter Reed Hospital was much more sensationalized than the previous articles. Reporters greatly criticized Trump’s response to the virus and the dangerous actions of campaign rally attendees that have threatened the lives of various White House officials. Reporters constructed a distinctly negative portrayal of the event, while framing it as additional evidence of Trump’s ineffective response to Covid-19.

Furthermore, CNN emphasized the risk to the secret service agents who were responsible for protecting Trump while he was transmitting the virus. According to the article, Trump’s short trip out of the hospital placed considerable, unnecessary risk on the Secret Service agents employed to protect Trump. Although Trump’s medical team released reports that his blood oxygen levels had dropped to alarmingly low levels two times, the White House orchestrated a small “parade” so Trump could demonstrate that he was still capable of governing. The writers discussed how the Trump administration’s ineffective Covid-19 plan has affected how the White House handles campaign events, which notoriously permit risky behaviors. This article is far more argumentative and partisan in contrast with the previous articles by the New York Times.

The Trump Administration’s response to Covid-19 has been a largely contested and controversial topic. Critics state that the slow national response, such as mobilization of resources to produce personal protection equipment and ventilators, resulted in the unnecessary deaths of American citizens. Proponents of the current administration emphasize the President’s actions of shutting down the economy, despite the initial reluctance to do so. These polarizing and partisan perspectives have contributed to the politicization of the pandemic, resulting in the affiliation of certain public health policies with specific political parties. For example, the simple act of wearing a mask has become an issue divided by party lines and political ideologies. Trump’s hospitalization for Covid-19 related medical issues has been subjected to the same divisive viewpoints and criticism.

References

Baker, Maggie Haberman and Peter. “Covid-19 Live Updates: Trump Is Hospitalized as More Aides Test Positive.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 Oct. 2020, www.nytimes.com/live/2020/10/03/world/covid-trump.

Reston, Maeve. “Trump’s Photo Op Raises New Questions about How Seriously He Takes the Virus.” CNN, Cable News Network, 5 Oct. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/10/04/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus-alternate-reality/index.html.

Reston, Maeve, and Gregory Krieg. “White House Sows Confusion about Trump’s Condition as Source Tells Reporters next 48 Hours Will Be Critical.” CNN, Cable News Network, 4 Oct. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/10/03/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus-walter-reed/index.html.

Santora, Marc. “Covid-19 Live Updates: Trump in Hospital for 3rd Day as Questions Over Condition Mount.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 3 Oct. 2020, www.nytimes.com/live/2020/10/04/world/trump-covid-live-updates.

This piece is written for Ned Randolph’s “Politics and Journalism” class, which is taught at Tulane University.