Propagandist Embraced by White House Press Corps [OPINION]

After many members praised the Chinese response to the COVID-19 coronavirus, the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) has now granted the Chinese propaganda machine access to the White House Briefing Room to question the President of the United States about his administration's response to what he often refers to as the Chinese virus.

Still don't believe that the press is the enemy of the people?

There was an interesting exchange on Monday between President Trump and a reporter for the Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV, which is a mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party, during Trump's daily coronavirus update briefing. Keep in mind, the WHCA determines which news organizations are granted access to the briefing room and which are not. For example, the WHCA often denies access to the briefings to reporters from OANN, the pro-Trump/pro-America One America News Network.

A transcript of the conversation between Trump and the Phoenix TV reporters was provided by media outlets following the briefing. Here is a portion of what was reported by Fox News:

Reporter: "Only last week, there were multiple flights coming from China full of medical supplies. Companies like Huawei and Alibaba have been donating to the United States, like 1.5 million N95 masks and also a lot of medical gloves, and much more medical supplies."

Trump: "Sounds like a statement more than a question."

The reporter then asked if Trump was willing to work "directly" with China; Trump responded that China should honor its trade deals with the United States.

"Are you cooperating with China?" she pressed.

"Who are you working for, China?" Trump responded. "Who are you with?"

The reporter smiled. "Um, no, I'm working for – Hong Kong Phoenix TV."

For the record, ABC News anti-Trump huckster Jonathan Karl is currently in charge of assigning seats for the White House Coronavirus Task Force briefings. In other words, it was no accident.

The fact that the American press is spending more time attempting to discredit Trump's leadership on the coronavirus crisis than in reporting on the origins of the virus and the truth about China's misrepresentation of the facts is appalling. That the White House Correspondents Association is providing the Chinese Communist Party access to the president for purposes of propaganda is downright disturbing.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.