The New York Times reported on Wednesday that U.S. officials believe Chinese agents put out fake news about the Wuhan coronavirus via social media and text messages as states shutdown.
The messages helped sow panic and anxiety in mid-March as the country saw the beginnings of the outbreak:
Spread the word, the messages said: The Trump administration was about to lock down the entire country.“They will announce this as soon as they have troops in place to help prevent looters and rioters,” warned one of the messages, which cited a source in the Department of Homeland Security. “He said he got the call last night and was told to pack and be prepared for the call today with his dispatch orders.”
Did you see any of the messages? My family and friends asked me a few times to confirm the news.
The White House National Security Council had to issue announcements that these messages had no validity to them.
Six anonymous sources told the NYT that the government has been investigating the messages. So far, the “intelligence agencies have assessed that Chinese operatives helped push the messages across platforms.”
The officials did not provide “details of the intelligence linking Chinese agents to the dissemination of the disinformation” so they could “protect their sources and methods.”
Two of the officials believe the agents did not create the messages. Instead, they “amplified existing ones.” This primarily worked on Facebook.
The agents also used “texts and encrypted messaging apps, including WhatsApp.” These actions make it difficult for officials “to track disinformation.”
The investigation includes “examining whether spies in China’s diplomatic missions in the United States helped spread the fake lockdown messages.” The outbreak has led agencies to increase the “scrutiny of Chinese diplomats and employees of state-run media organizations.”
Unfortunately, the NYT used this as an opportunity to knock President Donald Trump. Sometimes he says positives things about China like the tweet the NYT quoted when he wrote “Much respect!” about Chinese leaders handling the pandemic.
But the NYT forgets that as information has come out, Trump and his coronavirus task force team has used strict language about China. He warned China would face the consequences if he finds out it is “knowingly responsible” for the pandemic. Drs. Fauci and Birx slammed China for not providing enough data.
Let’s not forget the MSM has melted down over Trump’s use of “Chinese virus” and “Wuhan coronavirus.” They also hated on him when he issued Chinese travel bans in January.
Last week, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) went on CNN and blamed Trump, not China or WHO, for the pandemic.
But overall, Trump’s priority appears to be America and her citizens, which is how it should be. But we all know nothing Trump does or says is good enough for the NYT.
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