Tim Murtaugh on media bashing Trump 'regardless of the fact pattern'
Trump 2020 campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh reacts to criticism of the president's Mt. Rushmore speech.
MSNBC anchor Chuck Todd made a bold claim about his network's daytime programming following an intense clash with a Trump campaign spokesperson.
Todd and network colleague Katy Tur had a fiery exchange with Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh, who repeatedly blasted the media during an interview on Wednesday.
"The media and Democrats and Joe Biden, they don't like it when the president tweets. They don't want him to be holding rallies, they don't want him to communicate to Americans, and now, they don't want him to hold press conferences," Murtaugh responded to Tur's question about Trump's politicized Rose Garden remarks. "Joe Biden will read from a teleprompter a couple of times a week and spend every word attacking Trump and the president is one who likes to fight back."
Tur pushed back, noting that the president only took a "handful of questions" at Tuesday's press conference, but Murtaugh countered that Trump is the "most accessible president" to reporters and pointed to the 89 days Biden spent without holding a press conference versus the "55" instances the president took questions during that same period.
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"I think if you talk to your reporters who cover Joe Biden, I bet you they would privately tell you they are frustrated with being completely unable to ask Joe Biden a single question," Murtaugh told Tur.
The conversation later pivoted to Trump's campaign rallies where Murtaugh was pressed by Tur how the campaign can protect rallygoers from the coronavirus outbreak after the Tulsa rally, where there was no social distancing and very few masks along with the positive COVID-19 diagnoses of Herman Cain and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, both of whom attended the event.
The Trump campaign spokesperson dismissed her question, saying that it's "unfair" to connect Stitt's positive COVID-19 test to the rally that took place "25 days ago" and defended the campaign's handling of the Tulsa event between the temperature tests, masks and hand sanitizer provided.
He did, however, draw attention to what he suggested was the double standard in the media's lack of scrutiny towards the protection at Black Lives Matter protests in recent weeks.
"I do not recall MSNBC or CNN or anybody else be concerned about the safety of people who attended those gatherings, but suddenly, when it is involving a President Trump rally, then of course, then these safety measures are of paramount," Murtaugh told the anchors. "But when it's a large gathering with a political message that MSNBC would agree with, suddenly safety measures are on the back burner."
Before wrapping up the interview, Tur fired back, stressing that only President Trump was having such large indoor events versus the outdoor protests.
"I attended a number of those rallies, everybody was wearing a mask, hand sanitizer was handed out," Tur said. "And we just saw the images of those rallies. People were not wearing masks inside the president's rally. There was not social distancing being practiced. We saw the signs that were removed from seats. You can say you handed out hand sanitizer and gave out masks, they weren't wearing them. And also, Dr. Fauci today has said that the incubation period for this disease could be longer than just two weeks."
After Tur thanked Murtaugh for coming on the show, the Trump campaign spox managed to squeeze in one last jab.
"I appreciate that speech, Katy. Thank you," Murtaugh said, prompting a lengthy, awkward pause.
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When plugging a new NBC News poll that was set to be released during his own show later in the day, Chuck Todd felt the need to offer a clarification to viewers.
"Just a reminder, for what it’s worth, there is no editorial view here on any of these newscasts on MSNBC in the daytime,” the "Meet the Press" anchor said.