Fox News host Harris Faulkner was forced to referee Thursday as an “Outnumbered Overtime” panel on Coronavirus went sideways.
Faulkner introduced her guests, prefacing the discussion with a call for civility. “Chris Plante, syndicated radio host. Ethan Bearman, host of Left Coast News. Chris, I’m going to start with you. Politics aside — and we are going to have to do that with COVID-19, we just are — what would you say is the main takeaway from what the administration has not done that Joe Biden says he would do?” (RELATED: Harris Faulkner Stops Former Clinton Advisor Cold: ‘You Hit The Race Button Pretty Early In The Hour’)
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“Throw more money at the problem after we just threw $8.2 billion at the problem,” Plante replied. “And he said now we need to find out where the money is going. Look, in Washington there is this ridiculous game where whoever offers up the largest dollar figure cares the most.”
Plante then turned the attack on former Vice President Joe Biden, saying, “I think maybe Joe Biden should look at the record of the Obama Administration in 2009-2010 when the H1N1 virus came along, Swine Flu. President Trump didn’t declare health emergency until more than 1,000 Americans had died, millions were infected, hundreds of thousands had been hospitalized, and in the end, about 17,000 Americans died from the H1N1 virus. Joe Biden lecturing people about the use of the word ‘China,’ the use of the word ‘Wuhan,’ is laughable also.”
Faulkner stepped in briefly to correct Plante, noting that he had meant to name former President Barack Obama.
“I’m sorry, President Obama, I apologize. And it was the Obama Biden administration that allowed a thousand Americans to die before they declared a health emergency,” Plante continued.
“That’s a lie, Chris,” Bearman protested. “Let Harris jump in. The Obama admin instruction declared it in April —”
“It’s not a lie,” Plante interrupted.
“The Obama administration declared the Ebola emergency —” Bearman tried again
“October 24th, 2009, more than 1,000 Americans had been dead —” Plante said.
The two continued to talk over each other, each telling the other to “check your facts” until Faulkner interrupted both men, trying to bring the conversation back around.
“COVID-19 on the horizon, that’s what we are focused on right now,” Faulkner’s even tone got the attention of both guests. “I want both of you to focus in. I understand politics are the game, but the bigger umbrella here is that people are watching for answers.”
Bearman went on to praise Biden’s speech, saying, “Thank God for Joe Biden being presidential today on TV, giving that speech. It was amazing. He showed by listening to scientists, listening to public health officials, listening to epidemiologists and immunologists, not talk radio hosts who are going to tell it was just the cold and the flu. It’s not, this is a unique —”
Plante visibly bristled at the jab at “talk radio hosts” and started to respond, prompting Faulkner to jump in once more. “Let him finish, please,” she said.