An illustrated look at the evolution of the 'inject Lysol' anti-Trump hoax: How Media Creates a False Narrative

American Thinker ^ | 04/26/2020 | Andrea Widburg

[SeekAndFind]

On Thursday, April 23, President Donald Trump ruminated during a press conference about the possibility that, just as disinfectants can destroy the Wuhan virus outside the body, there might be a way to destroy the virus inside the body. Within hours, the mainstream media was telling people the Trump was telling Americans to inject or ingest disinfectant to treat Wuhan virus.

After that, the internet was quickly inundated with “Trump said to drink bleach” memes. While there was factual pushback from conservatives, facts made no difference – the hoax was set in place. It will now be a smear against Trump's name as permanent as the Charlottesville hoax. Using videos and memes, this post will sketch out how the hoax developed.

Hoax Phase 1: Trump theorizes within the realm of available facts. The media says that he “suggests” a toxic "cure."

Here’s the video of President Trump’s original remarks. It’s quite obvious that he’s talking about potential experiments with ultraviolet lights or disinfectants that can be used in the lungs. It’s obvious that Trump is not recommending anything specific, especially either Lysol or bleach. Instead, he’s theorizing based upon things known to kill the virus and on medical procedures that already exist.

Nevertheless, as just one example of media malfeasance, NBC labeled the video “President Trump Suggests ‘Injecting’ Disinfectant as Coronavirus Cure.”

Hoax Phase 2: While NBC sort of played it straight, soon “reputable” media outlets are asserting that Trump instructed the American people to do something incredibly dangerous:

Hoax Phase 3: A day after Trump's press conferences, Nancy Pelosi gives her own press conference during which she states that President Trump advised Americans to inject Lysol into their bodies.

[GSWarrior]

How do you get to a point in your life where you believe that a president is actually advising folks to drink bleach or inject Lysol?

You are either a moron or a lying piece of crap.

[bamabound]

President Trump was being creative, thinking out of the box, brainstorming, productive thinking.
Anyone who has studied metacognition, recognize this is how problems are solved,
Who knows what unique idea his comment may generate.
How much science fiction from the past is now reality.
Somewhere someone is devising/thinking about a ‘disenfectant’ that will do what President Trump alluded to.

[sheana]

If it is that easy to get libs to do stuff that will kill them....I say go for it.

[lowbridge]

Bump

[mellow velo]

Thank you for posting this. It's exactly what I figured President Trump meant as he spoke. Similar to inserting a tube into the lungs to perform a biopsy, only one set up to direct UV light. As soon as the reporter asked the President if he was suggesting injecting household disinfectants, I looked over at the wife and asked, "did he just ask President Trump about injecting bleach and isopropyl alcohol? (if memory serves correct, these were the 2 examples he used). She just rolled her eyes at the stupidity of the question.

The President may have also been thinking of procedures like radioactive seed implants or proton therapy, but obviously tailored to combat the virus.

[unixfox]

Why doesn’t the WaPo and NYT publish a page telling drug addicts not to inject Heroin, Cocaine, Meth or other DEADLY drugs?

Pathetic.

[italianquaker]

https://images.app.goo.gl/qYqYqDTBQ2S2MjxNA

[Macoozie]

“Don’t get me wrong. I “get it.” But he needs to stop it.
Agreed.”
Maybe you want him to speak more civilly, like John Effin Kerry? Or Teleprompter Extraordinaire Odumbo?

Just like many Libs.

I say, Keep doing it.
to paraphrase-
His enemies take him literally, and miss the whole point.
Supporters get the big picture, and dismiss the babble.

A brash,loud mouth, NY Billionaire does things differently. And thank goodness for that.

[siberianheat]

This article misses an important fact. In the press conference, literally minutes after Trump’s exchange about this, a reporter asks if he meant people should inject bleach and isopropyl alcohol into themselves. The president immediately responded no, he was talking about areas and surfaces, like a normal person.

This means the press immediately knew Trump’s clarification and intention. Thus, every article written about this, every politician who spews this lie, is knowingly out there to harm American citizens with a provably false assertion. They are working hard to kill us...

Also, Snopes is in on this hoax too. The very next day they had an article asking the question “Did Trump tell people to inject disinfectant?” It rates it as true. It mentions his follow up denial that he wasn’t talking about injecting people with it, but then it claims his answer was unclear. Here’s the follow up press question, see if you think it is unclear. Note that if Trump meant injection in the first place, this is where he would have said, “Yes, I want to inject people with bleach.” Instead, here’s what he said. (this is from the White House site’s transcript of the exchange)

Q But I — just, can I ask about — the President mentioned the idea of cleaners, like bleach and isopropyl alcohol you mentioned. There’s no scenario that that could be injected into a person, is there? I mean —

ACTING UNDER SECRETARY BRYAN: No, I’m here to talk about the findings that we had in the study. We won’t do that within that lab and our lab. So —

THE PRESIDENT: It wouldn’t be through injection. We’re talking about through almost a cleaning, sterilization of an area. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t work. But it certainly has a big effect if it’s on a stationary object.

Finally, I’ve been thinking about why Trump said he was being sarcastic about injecting disinfectants, instead of pointing out this answer above. At first blush, it undercuts his case. However, I’ve realized he’s making a calculated gamble to insert the word “sarcastically” into the lexicon. If the press is already ignoring his EXPLICIT DENIAL in the press conference itself, they aren’t going to report on him saying “read the transcript.” We already know that doesn’t work (Ukraine). Instead, he laughs it off and says he was being sarcastic. Thus, on the main street America, you have this exchange.

Liberal: Ha! Your boy Trump is so stupid! He told us to inject bleach to cure COVID-19.

Sensible Citizen: He refuted that statement immediately in the press conference. This is all a hoax...

Liberal: You and your hoaxes! First, Charlottesville, then Russia, then Ukraine. You just can’t accept Trump is a racist pawn of Russia.

Sensible Citizen: Actually, the next day he said he was being sarcastic.

Liberal: (looks it up). Oh, yeah I guess he did. That makes a lot more sense.

[Western Phil]

Trump should not be Trump?

[Vaduz]

Disinfectants can destroy the Wuhan virus outside the body, there might be a way to destroy the virus inside the body.

Prime example how media omits facts to spin a story,got to feed the sucker left 24/7/365.

Disinfectants = Medications

[b4me]

Like a constant child’s game of playing telephone - the info gets distorted/changed

[libertylover]

I wouldn’t be surprised if someone does die from ingesting bleach. The most likely way for this to happen is if an Antifa mob spots someone wearing a MAGA cap and holds him down and pours bleach down his throat.

[rockrr]

This is the stupidest false meme the left has ever conjured up. The simultaneous acts of imploring their own not to do it (Trump never suggested anyone do so) while encouraging Republicans to deliberately harm themselves shows their evil intent. It means that they KNOW their fellow loonies are dimwitted enough to do it while pubbies aren’t. Their next step is to try to poison us (yeah - I know it’s already been done a few times).

These bass turds are truly playing with fire...

[Revolutionary]

As usual, President Trump was right. H2O2 is a disinfectant and a cure when given intravenously. Also UV light is a cure when shined on the blood flow.

[caseinpoint]

I believe part of the media’s campaign here is to paint Trump supporters as idiots who must be protected from a dangerous president. They believe it anyway but this gives them more ammunition.

[mountainfolk]

I watched the presser of Pres Trump talking about new approaches to counter the China virus and at no time did I not know what he was saying. There is no way to interpret his discussion of disinfectant as using Clorox or other such to drink or inject into a persons body. I also saw Pelosi deliberately lie by saying he proposed ingesting liquid disinfectant for medicating the virus. How does the House leader get by with this deliberate falsehood, on national TV, with no legal consequence? Pres Trump is right to continue with his daily briefings with the team of virus informants and leaving at the end of his participation. The press can then address the various members with sensible questions, assuming that they know the meaning of sensible. Also, the reporters that are chosen in sit in should include other media outlets than those currently hand picked by no Trump media owners.

[ctdonath2]

Here’s where it started: https://twitter.com/ctdonath/status/1254404585428574208?s=21

[Zhang Fei]

[He did not say we “should” do that.

But he was “thinking out loud” at the time. I understand what he was doing. You think through a problem and try to make connections. Eisenstein did it when he imagined riding a beam a light through space when trying to come up the theory of relativity.

But, those types of thought processes are best kept behind closed doors until you have worked on them a bit.

That said, he was not being sarcastic at all. And he should have explained what he was really doing. And then stop doing it.]

---

I’m gonna have to agree. Brainstorming is not something you do at a press conference in front of a rabidly hostile audience.

[twyn1]

Oh please! If Obama had “brainstormed” in the exact same way, with the exact same words, the press would have been falling over themselves to find the examples we’ve seen posted here.

Obama would have been called “brilliant” and these experimental and lesser-known procedures would have been fast-tracked (without having to be rigorously vetted or go through long/limited double-blind studies), possibly at reduced prices or free. He would have then been credited with each and every recovered patient, whether they used the procedures or not. Any patients that died during the process would be attributed to something other than the procedure or COVID-19.