As virus deaths in the United States near 3,500, some Republicans who previously dismissed the threat posed by the virus—repeatedly calling it a media hoax—are now railing against the media for accurately reporting the death toll from the pandemic.
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) attacked the media in an ill-advised Sunday tweet that took things too far.
The Senator accused the media of taking "glee [and] delight" in reporting the mounting number of deaths due to the virus.
It's not unusual for Republican lawmakers to accuse the media of bias. Sowing a mistrust of the media among its base is one of the main reasons President Donald Trump and the Republican party have such dedicated voters, no matter how much evidence of corruption amasses.
But claiming that journalists take joy in reporting the deaths of Americans was widely derided as disgusting.
Journalists didn't hesitate to defend themselves.
Though Marco Rubio and his ilk may have forgotten this in their haste to parrot presidential smears, members of the media are people, and they're just as susceptible to the virus as any other American.
In fact, their dedication to covering the virus from the front lines often makes them more susceptible.
Rubio has yet to apologize.
@lpeterp/Bluesky
@FPWellman/X
@bobsbeatgmail.com5/Threads