“We Will Survive This” – Billionaire Ken Langone Blasts “Disgusting” Media Over Virus Coverage
by Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge.com
Mon, 04/13/2020
Ken Langone, the co-founder of Home Depot Inc., was on CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box’ Monday morning and blasted the media’s coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Langone started the interview by saying the media gets a “big fat F” for its coverage on the pandemic and is inciting division at a time when the country needs to unite.
“The point is, let’s talk about the positives. I’m tired of me having a feeding frenzy. And by the way, I’ll tell you when all the Postmortems are done? On all the Postmortems are done. The media and my opinions, it’s gotta get a big fat F. Its done nothing. It’s nothing but incite differences. At a point in time where the house was on fire, there out there putting gas on it because its fun or whatever they think it is right now. We need unity like never before, and we’re getting it but getting it done.”
Langone goes on to say there’s a lot of positive stories of Americans “making sacrifices” for the benefit of the country. He said all Americans must do their part via ‘obeying’ public health orders to flatten the curve. Langone then adds, the only people not doing their part is the mainstream media that continue to overhype the pandemic.
“The doctors, the nurses, the truck drivers go on and on, and the bus drivers, things are happening, people are making sacrifices for the benefit of all this. The least we can do is do our part, our part as citizens should be stay home, obey separation, all the things they want you to do. It is working. It is working well. Who’s not doing their part? My opinion, the media, both side. Stop, stop right now, tell the American people warm story, a wonderful story.”
CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin responds to Langone’s comment by saying:
“We can argue all these points. And going back was this, and I’m not trying to start a fight with anybody but I don’t I don’t see it frankly. Had the media been allowed to do its job in China, which is a place that doesn’t allow the media to do its job. In January, we might not have this problem because the media’s job is to blow the whistle. That’s the job of the media. So when you read articles that that talk about what was going on inside the administration or not going on inside the administration or warning people about the possibilities of these things. And then the government not taking the right steps or taking the right steps. That’s The job of the media. That’s what the media is supposed to do and not to tell you warm and happy stories every day.”
Langone responds by saying: “Andrew, you are doing and what the media does, never admit they might have made a mistake,” adding that the American people will vote this November and be the final judge of the administration.
Sorkin says, “if you don’t have a thriving media that can provide real information, factual information to the public, and not information that’s being skewed left and right. And I agree, by the way, it’s not always skewed the way you want it to be. But without it, you don’t have a functioning democracy. And you see what happens in countries where it doesn’t exist.”
Langone responds: “Let me make a confession. Democracy dictates and needs vibrant, objective media.” He provides a recent example of how a reporter in an interview twisted his story. Langone said it was “disgusting.”
"I'm tired of the media having a feeding frenzy here," says Ken Langone. "When all the postmortems are done the media, in my opinion, is going to get a big fat F." pic.twitter.com/FhIeZOdDbo
— Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) April 13, 2020
"On the front lines you can't believe the heroism–the enormous effort being made by the doctors, nurses," says legendary investor Ken Langone. "I'm seeing heroism, generosity–the effort that is being made is magnificent. It should make you feel so proud to be an American." pic.twitter.com/BPfR8rq2nV
— Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) April 13, 2020
Langone has been a supporter of President Trump for years. His appearance on CNBC comes as the mainstream media has demonized the president’s response to contain the virus.
The Federalist provides a solid timeline of the president’s response to the virus, which by the way, shows he was “on top of it while Joe Biden was mocking” the outbreak.
The hypocrisy by the media is stunning, the New York Times tweeted on January 9: “There’s no evidence that the virus, a coronavirus, is readily spread by humans, and it has not been tied to any deaths. But health officials in China and internationally are watching it carefully.”
There’s no evidence that the virus, a coronavirus, is readily spread by humans, and it has not been tied to any deaths. But health officials in China and internationally are watching it carefully. https://t.co/7PPJvjyCox
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 9, 2020
And maybe Langone is right. The media must unite Americans instead of dividing them to overcome this deadly disease.
