Joe Rogan confronts CNN's Sanjay Gupta on COVID treatments: 'They lied'
Dr. Sanjay Gupta admitted to Joe Rogan that CNN labeling ivermectin as 'horse dewormer' was wrong. 'Fox & Friends' hosts react.
CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is facing intense backlash following his disastrous interview with podcast giant Joe Rogan.
In the most explosive moment of the three-hour sitdown, Rogan pummeled Gupta over CNN's coverage of his COVID treatment after the network repeatedly claimed Rogan took "horse dewormer" instead of the human form of ivermectin that was prescribed to him by a doctor, forcing Gupta to admit his CNN colleagues should not have said that.
Following the interview, CNN published a lengthy essay Gupta wrote defending his appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience," saying he felt the need to "go into the lion's den." However, Gupta made no mention of his combative exchange with Rogan about his use of ivermectin and CNN's false characterization of the treatment, which did not go unnoticed.
"The lion ate the doctor and everyone knows it," New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz quipped.
"Weird. @drsanjaygupta left out the part where he told Rogan CNN's hosts shouldn't have said Rogan took horse dewormer," Twitchy editor Greg Pollowitz pointed out.
"The clip where Sanjay Gupta admits CNN lied about ivermectin by calling it horse drug has about 3 mil views on here, legit more than any CNN show Yet Gupta's 3000 WORD writeup of Rogan interview conveniently skips over the moment," Washington Free Beacon executive editor Brent Scher similarly wrote.
"Gotta love the underlying condescension in this tweet coming from someone at CNN, a place where there is nothing but accuracy and probity!" RealClearInvestigations senior writer Mark Hemingway tweeted.
While appearing on CNN later that night, Gupta not only remained mum on his earlier mea culpa but even went along with Don Lemon's diatribe denying CNN lied about Rogan taking horse dewormer.
"He did say something about ivermectin that I think wasn't actually correct about CNN and lying," Lemon began. "Ivermectin is a drug that is commonly used as a horse dewormer. So it is not a lie to say that the drug is used as a horse dewormer. I think that's important- and it's not approved for COVID, correct?"
"That's right," Gupta responded. "It is not approved for COVID and you're right, even the FDA put out a statement saying basically reminding people- it's a strange sort of message FDA, but said ‘You’re not a horse, you're not a cow, stop taking this stuff' is essentially what they said referring to ivermectin. Now, I think Joe's point is that-
"That it's been approved for humans but not necessarily for COVID, right?" Lemon interjected.
"That's correct," Gupta continued. "It's been used for a parasitic disease- it's called river blindness and it's been very effective for that, but, you know, just because it works for one thing doesn't mean it works for something else."
Gupta's tepid response to Lemon was torched by critics.
"After @drsanjaygupta admitted CNN lied about Joe Rogan (& Ivermectin in general), wax figure Don Lemon doubles down on lying & misleading their own audience, & Gupta does not acknowledge or correct the lie," progressive podcast host Jimmy Dore reacted.
"Notice what a little worm Sanjay Gupta is," Substack journalist Glenn Greenwald wrote. "When he had to confront Rogan face to face, he admitted CNN lied about him and shouldn't have said what they sad. Then, back on CNN, pressured by Lemon, he stuttered and obfuscated."
"Yes, he told the truth when confronted by Rogan -- and then CNN forced him to backtrack and he did it like the cowardly corporate careerist worm that he is," Greenwald added.
Fourth Watch media critic Steve Krakauer skewered Gupta for his attempt at rebuking Rogan's concerns of young boys getting myocarditis after getting vaccinated.
Krakauer shared a clip of Gupta's Wednesday appearance with CNN anchor Erin Burnett, sharing data from an Israeli study showing only 2.7 people out of 100,000 were diagnosed with heart inflammation after getting the Pfizer vaccine but that 11 people out of 100,000 received the same diagnosis following getting sick with COVID, concluding that myocarditis is a bigger risk for the unvaccinated than the vaccinated.
JOE ROGAN BLASTS MEDIA LIES ABOUT HIS COVID TREATMENT: ‘DO I HAVE TO SUE CNN?’
But as Krakauer pointed out, Rogan specifically spoke about young boys, but the study Gupta cited attempting to dismiss Rogan's concerns relied on overall cases, not children. Gupta went on to cite the same data again on Thursday.
"Rogan’s point was that young males are at MORE risk for myocarditis after the vaccine than hospitalization for ANYTHING after COVID. @DrSanjayGupta couldn’t dispute that, so instead he went on CNN yesterday and lied about the conversation. Just journalistic malpractice," Krakauer tweeted.
Fox News' "MediaBuzz" host Howard Kurtz offered a brutal takedown of Gupta while appearing on "America Reports."
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"Joe Rogan absolutely eviscerated Sanjay Gupta in this interview," Kurtz said. "And Dr. Gupta really had no response to the accusation again and again and again that his network was lying in saying Rogan had taken horse dewormer."
"He deserves credit for getting into the ring for three flippin' hours with Rogan, but he wound up battered and bloodied. And if it was a fight, they would've stopped it," Kurtz added.