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CNN Faces Backlash After Blasting Trump's Coronavirus Task Force for 'Lack of Diversity'

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CNN was mocked by multiple conservative media personalities for publishing a story hitting the Trump administration for a “lack of diversity” among his team overseeing the nation’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.

President Donald Trump tweeted photos on Wednesday of a briefing with various agency officials dealing with the coronavirus outbreak, which the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency this week.

“We have the best experts anywhere in the world, and they are on top of it 24/7!” the president wrote.

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In response, CNN tweeted a story the following day with photos comparing President Donald Trump’s team to that assembled by former President Barack Obama to combat the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

The tweet read, “Coronavirus task force another example of Trump administration’s lack of diversity – Analysis.”

Among those shown in the picture of Obama’s task force were then-National Security Adviser Susan Rice, then-Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and then-Vice President Joe Biden.

In CNN’s story, national political writer Brandon Tensley called the Trump administration’s team “as predictable as it is infuriating.”

“Who are these experts?” Tensley asked. “They’re largely the same sorts of white men (and a couple women on the sidelines) who’ve dominated the Trump administration from the very beginning.”

Are you concerned about Trump's coronavirus team lacking diversity?

“[A]s unsurprising as the diversity issue in the Trump era has become, it’s still worth pointing out from time to time, especially as the country approaches the 2020 presidential election in earnest,” he added.

Conservative radio talk show host Ben Shapiro responded to CNN’s tweet with a question: “So just to get this straight, CNN is objecting to a task force designed to stop an epidemic by focusing on … ethnic diversity?” he wrote.

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Political commentator Matt Walsh tweeted “This CNN article complaining about the lack of diversity in Trump’s coronavirus task force is amazing. Honest to God this is indistinguishable from parody. You could put the whole thing verbatim on the Babylon Bee and it wouldn’t be out of place.”

Conservative millennial Allie Beth Stuckey added, “You guys are the reason people can’t distinguish between satire and reality anymore.”

The Federalist co-founder Sean Davis accused CNN of “trying to put The Babylon Bee out of business by making the network impossible to parody.”

Fox News highlighted that CNN lives in a glass house regarding issues of diversity.

The NAACP and the National Association of Black Journalists took the network to task last year for its lack of minorities in executive positions.

“CNN’s lack of black representation in leadership roles is troubling and another example of the media industry’s reluctance to address an issue that continues to plague newsrooms across the country,” the NAACP said in a statement.

The NABJ placed CNN on a “special media monitoring list” for its lack of diversity among the network’s leadership.

Further, a 2018 study done by TheWrap found CNN had “significantly fewer women serving in visible on-air roles than either Fox News or MSNBC.”

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Randy DeSoto has written more than 2,000 articles for The Western Journal since he joined the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."
Randy DeSoto is the senior staff writer for The Western Journal. He wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean's list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith




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