Dear John,

Lie #1: “No president has done more, or acted more quickly [than Donald Trump]. The book on pandemics has now been rewritten. Future generations will learn from the lessons of this pandemic.” — Sean Hannity, Fox News host

Truth: Trump ignored national security warnings about the threat of the virus all throughout January and February, and repeatedly downplayed its severity to the public for weeks. It wasn’t until the stock market took a nosedive that Trump finally declared a national emergency on March 13. Since then his administration has blundered ramping up testing and contact tracing, politicized the disbursement of medical supplies to hard-hit areas, and abysmally failed to implement any clear, centralized strategy to contain the virus. Thanks to Trump’s horrifically botched response, the United States now has more cases and deaths than any other country. If there’s one thing future generations will learn from this pandemic, it’s to do the exact opposite of everything Trump has done.

Lie #2: “Lenox Hill in New York is among many hospitals already using hydroxychloroquine with very promising results. One patient was described as ‘Lazarus’ who was seriously ill from COVID-19, and has already been released.” — Laura Ingraham, Fox News host

Truth: The doctor who Ingraham interviewed was not actually employed by Lenox Hill hospital, and there is no evidence that hydroxychloroquine, the “miracle drug” repeatedly hocked by Trump and his prime-time sycophants, is a successful treatment for COVID-19. Recent studies have found that it can cause potentially lethal side effects, such as sudden cardiac arrest and irregular heart rhythms. A man in Arizona tragically died in March after ingesting a form of the drug. Yet Trump and Fox News continued to tout this unproven and dangerous treatment for weeks.

Lie #3: “We are happy to say that the curve has been flattened, but it's likely not because of the lockdowns. The virus just isn't nearly as deadly as we thought it was.” — Tucker Carlson, Fox News host

Truth: Experts broadly agree that social distancing stops the spread of the virus and saves lives. Multiple studies have confirmed the efficacy of these policies, and the facts speak for themselves: three weeks after California instituted social distancing policies, the curve for new infections in the state started flattening. But this doesn’t fit into Carlson’s narrative that this is all one big hoax to hurt Trump, so he blatantly lies instead.

As the number of coronavirus infections and deaths continues to climb and internal polls show Trump losing in November unless the economy comes roaring back, Fox News is going into overdrive to convince the American people that Trump has done a great job, and that the economy should reopen no matter the cost. 

Inequality Media Civic Action is the antidote to Fox News — debunking the lies and reaching Americans with the truth — at a time when their deliberate misinformation is costing lives.

Since this pandemic began, we’ve cobbled together our resources and have been doing more than ever. But just like organizations and businesses across the world, we’re feeling the financial strain as this crisis intensifies.

That's why this Giving Tuesday is so critical.

If you can, please support our work so we can continue ramping up our remote operation to debunk Fox News’ treacherous lies and get the truth out on a daily basis.

Fox News is a clear and present danger to the United States.

Without a strong, countervailing force to call out the media manipulation and get out the facts, we may never see the end of this virus, and countless more American lives will be lost.

We know what's at stake, which is why we're asking for your help right now.

Please, if you can, chip in today so we can continue doing our part to counter Fox News' lies and provide Americans with the fact-based information they need to survive this pandemic.

Together, we will ensure that the American people get the facts they need to stay safe, and that Trump emerges weaker from his abysmal response to this crisis — including his lethal decision to reopen the economy before it’s safe to do so.

Thank you for standing on the side of truth.

Sincerely,
Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action

*Contributions to IMCA are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.