A guest on CNN suggested that President Donald Trump like likely responsible for more deaths than several of the worst mass-murdering autocrats of the 20th century–and the show’s anchor, Brian Stelter, didn’t even push back on the absurd comment.
Dr. Allen Frances, former chairman of Duke University’s Psychiatry Department, was part of a panel discussion about whether mental health professionals can make any assessments about Trump from afar–even if those mental health professionals have personally never met the president. Stelter had just finished a monologue, defending the media’s constant suggestions that Trump may not be mentally stable.
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Frances said that suggesting Trump isn’t mentally stable is a “terrible insult” to the mentally ill. He said, “They have enough problems and stigma as it is. Calling Trump ‘crazy’ hides the fact that we’re crazy for having elected him and even crazier for allowing his crazy policies to persist.”
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He continued, “Trump is as destructive a person in this century as Hitler, Stalin, Mao were in the last century. He may be responsible for many more million deaths than they were. He needs to be contained but he needs to be contained by attacking his policies, not his person.”
The former Duke professor said that “psychological name-calling terms distracts us from getting out to vote,” adding, that “the problem is the diagnosis offered have been amateurish. They don’t apply to Trump. They will never get Trump out of office.”
.@AllenFrancesMD, a psychiatrist, tells @Brianstelter: Trump “may be responsible for many more million deaths” than Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong.https://t.co/cBUZVQjhNU pic.twitter.com/RVARyeVnVh
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) August 25, 2019
After several media outlets reported on Frances’ ridiculous comments, and Stelters’ failure to push back on them, the CNN host responded on Twitter to express regret over the way he handled the segment. Attempting to blame it on tech difficulties, Stelter wrote, “I agree that I should have interrupted after that line. I wish I had heard him say it, but I was distracted by tech difficulties (that’s why the show open didn’t look the way it normally does, I had two computers at the table, etc). Not hearing the comment is my fault.”
I agree that I should have interrupted after that line. I wish I had heard him say it, but I was distracted by tech difficulties (that’s why the show open didn’t look the way it normally does, I had two computers at the table, etc). Not hearing the comment is my fault.
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) August 25, 2019
Twitter users were quick to criticize Stelter.
The problem is giving someone so clearly willing to violate the standards of their profession a platform. No psychiatrist is supposed to comment on the mental health status of someone they have not examined. Astonishing.
— Stacey (@ScotsFyre) August 25, 2019
Well guess what? Most people don’t see your tweets. And your crap network knows that. Go on air and recap what happened and apologize to the American people. Better yet, resign.
— CaliPatriotGal (@Justwanttruth1) August 25, 2019
I’m having the sort of technical difficulties that prevent me from believing you
— Jimber (@notablyharmless) August 25, 2019
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