The self-proclaimed “facts first” outlet had apparently given that up for more a facts a la carte approach. According to CNN Inside Politics host John King, one didn’t need to believe the fact that President Trump was describing the Democratic and media fearmongering of his administration’s handling of the coronavirus (COVID-19) as a “hoax;” “you can read this how you wish” and believe he said it about the virus.

In his run-up to playing the soundbite of Trump’s hoax comment from a Friday campaign rally, King appeared set to claim Trump called COVID-19 a “hoax,” before catching himself and admitting Democrats had been critical:

One of the challenges there has been – we’re going to show some remarks from the President and how he tried to dial it back some, yesterday. The President suggesting in one speech – you can read this how you wish – The Democrats have been harshly critical, Democrats have said they don’t think the administration is prepared. The administration thinks the Democrats have been too political, that they’re not giving them a chance, not listening to the information. But the President used the word, one of his favorite words, “hoax.”

“They complain that the Democrats are playing politics, in a rally to link it to impeachment and to Russia, coronavirus, no,” King chided after playing the clips. And Daily Beast Washington Bureau chief Jackie Kucinich suggested it was “Probably not a great call with something like this.”

“You know, if I want you to take politics out of it, then keep politics out of it. If you think the Democrats are doing that, let them do it. But you’re the president,” she scolded. “You have the biggest megaphone in the world and the administration has a responsibility to make sure that the public stays safe as this — as this threat appears to be growing. And you can spin it however you want, viruses don’t care about politics.”

Kucinich concluded by adding: “You don’t need these other things interfering. You’ve got to be above the politics.”

Moments later, CNN senior political reporter Nia-Malika Henderson blamed Trump in part for the massive slide on Wall Street:

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON: Yeah. It will be interesting to see on Monday what the markets say. Right? You look at last week, the markets all over the place, a huge decline. Trillions of dollars wiped off the books and a lot of the gains that the stock market made, basically wiped out. And part, I think, was due to the President being as over the place and contradicting some of these experts. Kind of being the hype man and saying all is well. And so, we’ll see what the markets say and what his reaction to the markets are when they open on Monday.

Perhaps the selloff was more due to the fact that global supply chains and international trade were disrupted because many of the world’s goods were produced in the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak. But that’s only one option in CNN’s facts a la carte approach.

The transcript is below, click “expand” to read:

CNN’s Inside Politics
March 1, 2020
8:35:07 a.m. Eastern

JOHN KING: One of the challenges there has been – we’re going to show some remarks from the President and how he tried to dial it back some, yesterday. The President suggesting in one speech – you can read this how you wish – The Democrats have been harshly critical, Democrats have said they don’t think the administration is prepared. The administration thinks the Democrats have been too political, that they’re not giving them a chance, not listening to the information. But the President used the word, one of his favorite words, “hoax.”

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: The Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus. [Transition] One of my people came up to me and said, “Mr. President, they tried to beat you on Russia, Russia, Russia, that didn’t work out too well. They couldn’t do it. They tried the impeachment hoax. [Transition] And this is their new hoax.

[Transition to a different speech] The hoax referring to the action that they take to try and pin this on somebody, because we have done such a good job and the hoax is on them.

KING: They complain that the Democrats are playing politics, in a rally to link it to impeachment and to Russia, coronavirus, no.

JACKIE KUCINICH: Probably not a great call with something like this. You know, if I want you to take politics out of it, then keep politics out of it. If you think the Democrats are doing that, let them do it. But you’re the president. You have the biggest megaphone in the world and the administration has a responsibility to make sure that the public stays safe as this — as this threat appears to be growing. And you can spin it however you want. Viruses don’t care about politics.

It’s wise to tell people not to panic, but it’s also in times like this you want the government to just give you facts. That’s it. How you can keep your family safe, you can go to work, your kids can go to school. That’s what you need. You don’t need these other things interfering. You’ve got to be above the politics.

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON: Yeah. It will be interesting to see on Monday what the markets say. Right? You look at last week, the markets all over the place, a huge decline. Trillions of dollars wiped off the books and a lot of the gains that the stock market made, basically wiped out. And part, I think, was due to the President being as over the place and contradicting some of these experts. Kind of being the hype man and saying all is well. And so, we’ll see what the markets say and what his reaction to the markets are when they open on Monday.

(…)