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| Why Michael Savage Is Blasting Hannity and the Right-Wing Media on the Virus | Why Michael Savage Is Blasting Hannity and the Right-Wing Media on the Virus |
| (3 days later) | |
| There are a lot of people who are ruining the country right now, according to Michael Savage. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Liberal mayors in big cities like San Francisco. Undocumented immigrants. Homeless people. | There are a lot of people who are ruining the country right now, according to Michael Savage. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Liberal mayors in big cities like San Francisco. Undocumented immigrants. Homeless people. |
| But for the past two months, listeners to Mr. Savage’s conservative radio show have heard him howl with unabated contempt about another menace: “The pimps” in the right-wing media “who tell you what you want to hear.” They are “intellectual dwarfs” and “science illiterates,” he says, who spent weeks downplaying the threat from the coronavirus epidemic and accusing President Trump’s opponents of exaggerating it to hurt him politically. | But for the past two months, listeners to Mr. Savage’s conservative radio show have heard him howl with unabated contempt about another menace: “The pimps” in the right-wing media “who tell you what you want to hear.” They are “intellectual dwarfs” and “science illiterates,” he says, who spent weeks downplaying the threat from the coronavirus epidemic and accusing President Trump’s opponents of exaggerating it to hurt him politically. |
| On Mr. Savage’s broadcast, which has one of the largest audiences in talk radio with 7.5 million listeners each week, the virus has never been a hoax or a bad case of the sniffles. He has lectured his fans on the research in detail: How it is transmitted; which treatments are proving effective; and the difference between morbidity and mortality rates. | On Mr. Savage’s broadcast, which has one of the largest audiences in talk radio with 7.5 million listeners each week, the virus has never been a hoax or a bad case of the sniffles. He has lectured his fans on the research in detail: How it is transmitted; which treatments are proving effective; and the difference between morbidity and mortality rates. |
| With no small amount of self-satisfaction, Mr. Savage reminds people of his credentials — a Ph.D. and training in epidemiology — and of the fact that he was one of the few voices in conservative media who had warned them all along. | With no small amount of self-satisfaction, Mr. Savage reminds people of his credentials — a Ph.D. and training in epidemiology — and of the fact that he was one of the few voices in conservative media who had warned them all along. |
| Much of the time, Mr. Savage still sounds like any other right-wing shock jock — making fun of Nancy Pelosi and doubting the validity of the #MeToo movement. But on the subject of the coronavirus, Mr. Savage has become one of the loudest voices of dissent on the right. | Much of the time, Mr. Savage still sounds like any other right-wing shock jock — making fun of Nancy Pelosi and doubting the validity of the #MeToo movement. But on the subject of the coronavirus, Mr. Savage has become one of the loudest voices of dissent on the right. |
| His views are a striking departure from the accepted version of events among Mr. Trump’s loyalists in the media, who have made a concerted effort to deny that they downplayed the epidemic. Mr. Savage has attacked the credibility of the conservative media, accused its biggest stars of being too rote and unthinking in their defense of the president, and demanded that they be held accountable for misleading millions of Americans. | His views are a striking departure from the accepted version of events among Mr. Trump’s loyalists in the media, who have made a concerted effort to deny that they downplayed the epidemic. Mr. Savage has attacked the credibility of the conservative media, accused its biggest stars of being too rote and unthinking in their defense of the president, and demanded that they be held accountable for misleading millions of Americans. |
| “We’re living in a terrible time in America where truth has died,” Mr. Savage, who was one of the first conservative media stars to urge Mr. Trump to run for president, told his audience. “This is crazy,” he added, pointing to the way the president’s defenders always accuse the left of spreading “fake news.” | “We’re living in a terrible time in America where truth has died,” Mr. Savage, who was one of the first conservative media stars to urge Mr. Trump to run for president, told his audience. “This is crazy,” he added, pointing to the way the president’s defenders always accuse the left of spreading “fake news.” |
| “How can we not let our side be called on the carpet when they lie to the people?” | “How can we not let our side be called on the carpet when they lie to the people?” |
| That was Feb. 24. | That was Feb. 24. |
| At the time, coronavirus outbreaks were largely limited to a handful of countries like China, South Korea and Italy. Only a few dozen cases had been reported in the United States. The same day, Rush Limbaugh likened the coronavirus to the common cold on his radio program. But it spread aggressively in America just as Mr. Savage had warned it would — a prediction that earned him the ire of people who called him a hysteric and a sellout. | At the time, coronavirus outbreaks were largely limited to a handful of countries like China, South Korea and Italy. Only a few dozen cases had been reported in the United States. The same day, Rush Limbaugh likened the coronavirus to the common cold on his radio program. But it spread aggressively in America just as Mr. Savage had warned it would — a prediction that earned him the ire of people who called him a hysteric and a sellout. |
| His contempt for hosts like Mr. Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, whose top-rated radio shows draw more than 30 million listeners each week, is especially searing. He mocks them as “Dr. Hannity” and “Rush Limbaugh, M.D., Ph.D.,” belittles their lack of education compared with his, and berates people who took their claims seriously. | His contempt for hosts like Mr. Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, whose top-rated radio shows draw more than 30 million listeners each week, is especially searing. He mocks them as “Dr. Hannity” and “Rush Limbaugh, M.D., Ph.D.,” belittles their lack of education compared with his, and berates people who took their claims seriously. |
| During one program in early March, for instance, Mr. Savage asked why anyone would continue to believe that the virus was being hyped by the president’s enemies when Mr. Trump himself was taking aggressive steps to slow its spread. Referring to the president, Mr. Savage fumed, “Is it because he doesn’t know as much as Sean Hannity does? Is it because he doesn’t study at the same medical school as Dr. Limbaugh?” | During one program in early March, for instance, Mr. Savage asked why anyone would continue to believe that the virus was being hyped by the president’s enemies when Mr. Trump himself was taking aggressive steps to slow its spread. Referring to the president, Mr. Savage fumed, “Is it because he doesn’t know as much as Sean Hannity does? Is it because he doesn’t study at the same medical school as Dr. Limbaugh?” |
| “Do you understand the danger you’re in by listening to these people and just following them blindly over a cliff?” he implored his audience. A Fox spokesperson said that Mr. Hannity has directly addressed his lack of credentials, saying earlier this month, “I’m not Dr. Hannity.” | “Do you understand the danger you’re in by listening to these people and just following them blindly over a cliff?” he implored his audience. A Fox spokesperson said that Mr. Hannity has directly addressed his lack of credentials, saying earlier this month, “I’m not Dr. Hannity.” |
| Hostilities among the bold personalities and big egos of talk radio are nothing new. Mr. Savage has always been the misfit of conservative radio who relished taunting his higher-rated rivals. But his background in science, and a recent heart attack that has reduced his schedule to three days a week, have given him a unique perspective. | Hostilities among the bold personalities and big egos of talk radio are nothing new. Mr. Savage has always been the misfit of conservative radio who relished taunting his higher-rated rivals. But his background in science, and a recent heart attack that has reduced his schedule to three days a week, have given him a unique perspective. |
| Still, anyone tempted to think that Mr. Savage is fundamentally gentler and milder needs only to listen to a few minutes of his program. | Still, anyone tempted to think that Mr. Savage is fundamentally gentler and milder needs only to listen to a few minutes of his program. |
| “I just saw that San Francisco’s homeless population are being given hotel rooms, so they can crap on the floor and throw the sheets out the window,” he said on a recent show, reacting to the news that some cities were trying to limit the spread of the virus among people who sleep on the streets. | “I just saw that San Francisco’s homeless population are being given hotel rooms, so they can crap on the floor and throw the sheets out the window,” he said on a recent show, reacting to the news that some cities were trying to limit the spread of the virus among people who sleep on the streets. |
| On another day, he questioned whether Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood producer, should have been convicted of criminal sexual assault. Referring to the women who accused him, Mr. Savage said: “They all went into his apartment. What were they going there for?” | On another day, he questioned whether Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood producer, should have been convicted of criminal sexual assault. Referring to the women who accused him, Mr. Savage said: “They all went into his apartment. What were they going there for?” |
| These kinds of provocations will be familiar to fans and critics of Mr. Savage, who was once was barred from entering Britain after making inflammatory comments about Islam, including calling the Quran a “book of hate.” | These kinds of provocations will be familiar to fans and critics of Mr. Savage, who was once was barred from entering Britain after making inflammatory comments about Islam, including calling the Quran a “book of hate.” |
| In a series of interviews over the phone and on Skype as he recorded his radio show from a home studio overlooking San Francisco Bay, Mr. Savage, who is 78, echoed his conservative colleagues on some aspects of the virus. He has sharply attacked the federal government’s leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, dismissing him as “a grandstander” and “a showman.” He criticized sweeping quarantine measures and lockdowns as a threat to individual liberty, and called for them to be eased in places with lower infection rates, siding with the protesters who have gathered in state capitals across the country in recent days in a show of opposition. | In a series of interviews over the phone and on Skype as he recorded his radio show from a home studio overlooking San Francisco Bay, Mr. Savage, who is 78, echoed his conservative colleagues on some aspects of the virus. He has sharply attacked the federal government’s leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, dismissing him as “a grandstander” and “a showman.” He criticized sweeping quarantine measures and lockdowns as a threat to individual liberty, and called for them to be eased in places with lower infection rates, siding with the protesters who have gathered in state capitals across the country in recent days in a show of opposition. |
| He said he had pressed this point personally over email with Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, whom he knows socially through his son, the billionaire founder of Rockstar Energy Drink, Russell Weiner. Mr. Savage has also made his case on selectively lifting quarantine orders directly to the White House, which announced last month that it would nominate him to the board of the Presidio Trust, the oversight body for San Francisco’s famed national park. (The announcement was easy to overlook because it listed Mr. Savage by his legal name, Michael A. Weiner.) | He said he had pressed this point personally over email with Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, whom he knows socially through his son, the billionaire founder of Rockstar Energy Drink, Russell Weiner. Mr. Savage has also made his case on selectively lifting quarantine orders directly to the White House, which announced last month that it would nominate him to the board of the Presidio Trust, the oversight body for San Francisco’s famed national park. (The announcement was easy to overlook because it listed Mr. Savage by his legal name, Michael A. Weiner.) |
| Mr. Savage’s coronavirus crusade is partly a reflection of his training as a scientist. He has a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in nutritional ethnomedicine, a field that examines how various cultures and ethnicities use natural products for health purposes. As part of his training, he studied epidemiology. He is a germaphobe and has a survivalist streak. One of the houses he owns in Marin County has its own reservoir. | Mr. Savage’s coronavirus crusade is partly a reflection of his training as a scientist. He has a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in nutritional ethnomedicine, a field that examines how various cultures and ethnicities use natural products for health purposes. As part of his training, he studied epidemiology. He is a germaphobe and has a survivalist streak. One of the houses he owns in Marin County has its own reservoir. |
| But his persistence on the issue is also a reaction to his own recent death scare. The heart attack he had in December made the life-and-death nature of a pandemic personal. “I would like to believe that God has kept me here for this reason,” he said, calling this “the defining moment of our lives.” | But his persistence on the issue is also a reaction to his own recent death scare. The heart attack he had in December made the life-and-death nature of a pandemic personal. “I would like to believe that God has kept me here for this reason,” he said, calling this “the defining moment of our lives.” |
| At one point he turned to his producer, Jim Verdi, and asked, “When was I this wound up?” | At one point he turned to his producer, Jim Verdi, and asked, “When was I this wound up?” |
| “Never,” Mr. Verdi replied. | “Never,” Mr. Verdi replied. |
| Updated June 12, 2020 | |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| Mr. Savage’s wife, Janet Weiner, said in an interview that she had noticed more compassion in her husband since his heart attack. And she sees him taking on responsibility for waking people up to what parts of American conservatism, especially in the media, have become. “This culty hero worship of the uneducated, it’s very depressing,” she said. “It makes me ashamed to be a conservative,” she added, before stopping herself. “I don’t want to identify with the conservative movement anymore.” | Mr. Savage’s wife, Janet Weiner, said in an interview that she had noticed more compassion in her husband since his heart attack. And she sees him taking on responsibility for waking people up to what parts of American conservatism, especially in the media, have become. “This culty hero worship of the uneducated, it’s very depressing,” she said. “It makes me ashamed to be a conservative,” she added, before stopping herself. “I don’t want to identify with the conservative movement anymore.” |
| Her husband is not willing to go that far. And one thing his listeners do not hear much of is direct criticism of the president for his uneven response to the virus. | Her husband is not willing to go that far. And one thing his listeners do not hear much of is direct criticism of the president for his uneven response to the virus. |
| The host, who for years has argued that immigration should be limited for public health reasons, has praised Mr. Trump’s actions, such as limiting travel from China. When Mr. Trump called to congratulate him on the Presidio appointment last month, he told Mr. Savage he was considering shutting down travel to Europe. Mr. Savage responded that he didn’t think it was necessary at the time. “Obviously I was wrong,” he said. | The host, who for years has argued that immigration should be limited for public health reasons, has praised Mr. Trump’s actions, such as limiting travel from China. When Mr. Trump called to congratulate him on the Presidio appointment last month, he told Mr. Savage he was considering shutting down travel to Europe. Mr. Savage responded that he didn’t think it was necessary at the time. “Obviously I was wrong,” he said. |
| Mr. Savage’s criticism of the conservative media allows him to sidestep the bigger questions about Mr. Trump’s leadership. Nicole Hemmer, a scholar at Columbia University and author of a book on the history of right-wing media, “Messengers of the Right,” said that Mr. Savage was letting the president off the hook by arguing that people in his inner circle like Mr. Hannity are giving him bad advice. | Mr. Savage’s criticism of the conservative media allows him to sidestep the bigger questions about Mr. Trump’s leadership. Nicole Hemmer, a scholar at Columbia University and author of a book on the history of right-wing media, “Messengers of the Right,” said that Mr. Savage was letting the president off the hook by arguing that people in his inner circle like Mr. Hannity are giving him bad advice. |
| “In a way, he inoculates Trump from criticism by saying it’s not necessarily Trump that has bad instincts — it’s that he’s been misinformed,” Ms. Hemmer said. She added that Mr. Savage was still a lot like other hosts in that “they are all trying to find ways to protect Donald Trump, they just disagree about the method to do that.” | “In a way, he inoculates Trump from criticism by saying it’s not necessarily Trump that has bad instincts — it’s that he’s been misinformed,” Ms. Hemmer said. She added that Mr. Savage was still a lot like other hosts in that “they are all trying to find ways to protect Donald Trump, they just disagree about the method to do that.” |
| The only serious point of disagreement between Mr. Trump and Mr. Savage is in treating the virus with hydroxychloroquine, which the president has hailed as a potential miracle drug. “Almost every day now,” Mr. Savage said in the interview, “I’ve been warning people about the dangers of this drug.” He said he was appalled after hearing that Trump boosters like Mr. Hannity and Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, were citing the unverified findings of a doctor outside New York City. “That’s not a controlled study,” he said, adding that “Dr. Giuliani” had no business talking about it. | The only serious point of disagreement between Mr. Trump and Mr. Savage is in treating the virus with hydroxychloroquine, which the president has hailed as a potential miracle drug. “Almost every day now,” Mr. Savage said in the interview, “I’ve been warning people about the dangers of this drug.” He said he was appalled after hearing that Trump boosters like Mr. Hannity and Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, were citing the unverified findings of a doctor outside New York City. “That’s not a controlled study,” he said, adding that “Dr. Giuliani” had no business talking about it. |
| Faced with his own mortality and the slowing down of his professional life, Mr. Savage has sounded sentimental at times. Earlier this month, he told his listeners, “My career will be defined by how I’ve treated you, my audience, during this epidemic.” | Faced with his own mortality and the slowing down of his professional life, Mr. Savage has sounded sentimental at times. Earlier this month, he told his listeners, “My career will be defined by how I’ve treated you, my audience, during this epidemic.” |
| “We’re at war with an invisible enemy,” he said. “And we’re not going to win this war by attacking each other. We’re not going to win this war by lying to the people.” | “We’re at war with an invisible enemy,” he said. “And we’re not going to win this war by attacking each other. We’re not going to win this war by lying to the people.” |