Trump Fueled 38% Of Pandemic Misinformation, Conspiracies: Study

The New York Times: Study Finds ‘Single Largest Driver’ Of Coronavirus Misinformation: Trump
Of the flood of misinformation, conspiracy theories and internet falsehoods about the coronavirus, one common thread stands out: President Trump. That is the conclusion of researchers at Cornell University who analyzed 38 million articles about the pandemic in English-language media around the world. Mentions of Mr. Trump made up nearly 38 percent of the overall “misinformation conversation,” making the president the largest driver of the “infodemic” — falsehoods involving the pandemic. (10/1)

NPR: Trump Often Gives ‘Complete Opposite’ Of Health Experts’ Advice, Former Staffer Says
President Trump has consistently told Americans “the complete opposite” of what his health experts have been telling him in private meetings about COVID-19, according to Olivia Troye, who until recently worked on the the White House coronavirus task force. “They brief him. They tell him the facts. They’re telling him the truth. They’re telling him things that need to be done,” Troye said in an interview with NPR’s Ari Shapiro. “And it is a very frustrating environment to work in, when you know that the message that is going to be relayed is counter to what you just told him.” (Chappell, 9/30)

The Washington Post: TikTok Videos, Facebook Trump Ads Spread Misinformation Concerning Biden’s Health 
False stories about Joe Biden’s health continued to spread on social platforms the day after the first presidential debate, including misleading Facebook ads by the Trump campaign and a viral video on TikTok. A false story about Biden wearing an earpiece that emerged on Tuesday continued to get traction on Facebook after the debate. The Trump campaign ad, which encourages people to “Check Joe’s Ears,” and asked “Why won’t Sleepy Joe commit to an earpiece inspection,” was viewed between 200 to 250,000 times and marketed primarily to people over 55 in Texas and Florida. The implication of the ad, the content of which originated from a tweet by a New York Post reporter who cited a single anonymous source, is that Biden needed the assistance of an earpiece so someone could pass him information during the debates. (Dwoskin, 9/30)

In related Trump administration news —

ABC News: CDC Slowing Pace On Releasing New Coronavirus Health Guidance 
For the last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stopped issuing new health information related to the novel coronavirus after altering the procedure by which that information was being shared with the American people, sources with direct knowledge of the change told ABC News. The type of information that has been withheld has previously been vital to hospitals, health officials and local leaders on the front lines providing updated guidance on how to treat, test and slow the spread of the illness, which has claimed over 200,000 American lives. (Abdelmalek, Bhatt and Santucci, 10/1)

The New York Times: Fauci And Trump Are At Odds Again Over Masks 
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the leading U.S. official on infectious diseases, hit back at President Trump on Wednesday for what he called the misrepresentation of his stance on using masks to curb the coronavirus. In the presidential debate on Tuesday, Mr. Trump claimed that Dr. Fauci initially said “masks are not good — then he changed his mind.” And when former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said wearing masks could save tens of thousands of lives, Mr. Trump contended that “Dr. Fauci said the opposite.”Dr. Fauci, whose relationship with his boss has often seemed tenuous at best, took issue with his claims the day after the debate. “Anybody who has been listening to me over the last several months knows that a conversation does not go by where I do not strongly recommend that people wear masks,” he said in an interview on ABC News’s “Start Here” podcast. (10/1)

The Hill: Ex-FDA Employees Express Worries To Congress Over Politicization Of Vaccines 
Experts and former Food and Drug Administration officials say they worry President Trump is undermining public confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine approval process, potentially leading people to reject the vaccine when one is available. The experts, appearing before a Congressional panel Tuesday, said they still have faith in the government’s career officials and scientists responsible for determining whether a potential COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, but that Trump and his political appointees are making it harder to gain public trust. (Hellmann, 9/30)

The Hill: Atlas, Health Officials Feuds Add To Trump Coronavirus Turmoil 
The feuds between White House coronavirus adviser Scott Atlas and top public health officials are raising more questions about President Trump’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Atlas, a Stanford University neuroradiologist without experience in public health, first joined the White House coronavirus task force this summer after appearing frequently on Fox News. He has come under fire from public health experts inside and outside the administration who accuse him of feeding Trump misinformation. (Weixel, 9/30)

The New York Times: White House Blocked C.D.C. Order To Keep Cruise Ships Docked 
The White House has blocked a new order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to keep cruise ships docked until mid-February, a step that would have displeased the politically powerful tourism industry in the crucial swing state of Florida. The current “no sail” policy, which was originally put in place in April and later extended, is set to expire on Wednesday. Dr. Robert R. Redfield, the director of the C.D.C., had recommended the extension, worried that cruise ships could become viral hot spots, as they did at the beginning of the pandemic. (Kaplan, 9/30)