• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Republicans
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Men
  • Trans Rights
  • Royals
  • Monkeypox
  • US set to ease AIDS-era blood donation rules for gay men
  • Learning From COVID: Early Detection, Isolation, and Elimination Beats More Defensive Responses As Global Strategy for Future Pandemics
  • Phew! Truck-sized asteroid misses Earth

Inside the Pro-Trump Facebook Group Where Firefighters and Paramedics Call Coronavirus a Hoax

Isaac Arnsdorf, ProPublica March 17, 2020 Leave a Comment

74339554 10157543768164801 4810657177347817472 o

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.

In a 27,000-member private Facebook group for first responders who support President Donald Trump, firefighters and paramedics have posted thousands of comments in recent weeks downplaying the coronavirus pandemic that they are responsible for helping to handle.

Posts in the group, which is called IAFF Union Firefighters for Trump and has been endorsed by Trump, scoffed at the seriousness of the virus, echoing false assertions by Trump and his allies comparing it to the seasonal flu. “Every election year has a disease,” read one meme, purporting to be written on a doctor’s office whiteboard. “This is a viral-pneumonia being hyped as The Black Plague before an election.”

As of Monday, there were 4,464 cases and 78 deaths in the U.S., according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

As confirmed cases and deaths expanded and officials began shutting down mass gatherings and public places, the posts intensified their attacks on Democrats and the media. “I believe this is all by design,” wrote a Texas firefighter whose identity was corroborated by ProPublica. “Democrats have wanted to slow down and even kill the economy. It’s the only hope they have of beating Trump. Sad and disgusting the depths of shit the Democrats will descend to in order to gain power.”

Posts containing factual information or firsthand experiences with the virus were met with more accusations of plots to harm Trump’s reelection. When a Florida firefighter said action was required now to prevent a crisis like is currently underway in Italy, where 27,980 have been infected and 2,158 have died, because the virus spreads at an exponential rate, the first reply was poop emojis and “Trump2020.”

Some comments promoted a baseless conspiracy theory that the virus is a biological weapon developed by the Chinese in collaboration with Democrats.

“By the Chinese to stop the riots in Hong Kong,” one member wrote.

“[Y]ou are absolutely correct,” another replied. “I said that in the beginning. Democrats saw an opportunity to use it against Trump and get rid of older people which they have been trying to do for a while.”

Commenters contacted by ProPublica declined to answer questions or didn’t respond to messages. ProPublica reviewed hundreds of screenshots provided by co-workers of members of the group who asked to be anonymous, fearing retaliation. Those people said the social media posts are not idle online venting — they reflect real-world attitudes that are leading some first responders to potentially shun special plans and protective equipment. That dismissiveness, the people said, could put first responders and others at risk as they attend to emergency calls with potentially infected people.

Leaders at the International Association of Fire Fighters are also concerned. “I’ve read the social media. I know there are going to be accusations that this is all hype,” Jim Brinkley, IAFF assistant to the general president for technical and information resources, said in a video that the union posted online. “If we ignore it, if we take it lightly, we will set a new standard in the wrong direction for infectious disease in this country.”

Firefighters and paramedics, who jointly respond to 911 calls in most places, are among those at the greatest risk of encountering the coronavirus, and their exposure could endanger others if they have to be quarantined and are no longer available to work. Dozens of firefighters who responded to the nursing home in Kirkland, Washington, that was a hot spot of the outbreak had to be quarantined for weeks.

The private Facebook group was formed last year to protest the IAFF’s official endorsement of Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden. Trump encouraged his followers to join the Facebook group in May 2019.

The group’s founder, Kelly Hallman, told ProPublica he doesn’t speak for everyone who posts, but he can understand why many emergency professionals share his skepticism about the coronavirus. He said previous outbreaks such as SARS, the H1N1 “swine flu” and Ebola didn’t prompt such a big response, and he thinks the reason is politics.

“There’s never been this much hoopla given to the other things,” Hallman said. “They’re doing it to crash the economy and make Trump look bad.”

Hallman’s view hasn’t changed as Trump went from calling concerns over the coronavirus a “hoax” on Feb. 28 to declaring a national emergency on Friday. Hallman said Trump has had to address fears stirred up by the media.

“If you had to point a finger at why the leftist media and the left in general has a smile on their face about this whole thing, it’s the Dow,” Hallman said, referring to the historic decline in stock prices. “My wife and kids are scared, they’re believing what they’re seeing on TV. And I’m trying to tell them it’s not as bad as the media makes it out.”

Public health experts are unified in calling for drastic measures to contain and mitigate the spread in the U.S. “When you’re dealing with an emerging infectious diseases outbreak, you are always behind where you think you are,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said at a White House press conference on Monday. “It will always seem that the best way to address it would be doing something that looks like it might be an overreaction. It’s not an overreaction. It’s a reaction that we feel is commensurate with what is actually going on in reality.”

The government’s guidelines, Fauci said, “will fail if people don’t adhere to them.”

IAFF spokesman Doug Stern said views like those expressed in the Facebook group reflect the minority of first responders, citing conversations with local leaders who are eager for more information about how to prepare for the coronavirus.

“Our leadership is aware of this issue, and we are taking it seriously because we know how important it is,” Stern said of COVID-19. Most important, Stern said, is for 911 callers to tell the dispatcher if anyone is experiencing flu-like symptoms so responders can wear protective gear and send a smaller team.

Caroline Chen contributed reporting.

We’re Still Reporting. Tell Us More About Coronavirus.

Filed under:

  • Health Care

Topics: Health, Milestones, towleroad More Posts About: coronavirus, Covid-19, Daily Resist, Deaths, Donald Trump, Firefighters, Health

Related Posts
  • Stormy Daniels Declares It’s ‘Exhausting’ To Always Be Asked About Alleged Affair With Donald Trump: ‘I Wish He Would Go Away’
  • Trump warns U.S. House Republicans not to touch Social Security, Medicare
  • ‘Pastors for Trump’ founder claims MLK would have been a MAGA Republican
  • Learning From COVID:  Early Detection, Isolation, and Elimination Beats More Defensive Responses  As  Global Strategy for Future Pandemics

    Learning From COVID: Early Detection, Isolation, and Elimination Beats More Defensive Responses As Global Strategy for Future Pandemics

    Imagine it is 2030. Doctors in a regional hospital in country X note an expanding cluster of individuals with severe respiratory disease. Rapid whole-genome sequencing identifies the disease-causing agent as a novel coronavirus. Epidemiological investigations suggest …Read More »
  • Phew! Truck-sized asteroid misses Earth

    Phew! Truck-sized asteroid misses Earth

    Published by AFP Small asteroid to pass close by Earth Los Angeles (AFP) – Bruce Willis: you can stand down. A truck-sized asteroid that suddenly loomed out of the darkness a few days ago — with …Read More »
  • ‘Trump fatigue’ in New Hampshire complicates 2024 White House bid

    ‘Trump fatigue’ in New Hampshire complicates 2024 White House bid

    Published by Reuters By Tim Reid WEARE, New Hampshire (Reuters) – When Donald Trump trounced his Republican rivals in New Hampshire’s 2016 primary, the stunning win announced to other states the reality TV showman was a …Read More »
  • Monica Bellucci ‘scared’ to play Maria Callas on stage

    Monica Bellucci ‘scared’ to play Maria Callas on stage

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Monica Bellucci felt “scared” about making her stage debut playing opera legend Maria Callas in a one-woman show. The ‘ Spectre’ star portrays the soprano in the play ‘Letters and Memoirs’ …Read More »
Previous Post: « Coronavirus Comfort Concerts: Pink, Chris Martin, Yo-Yo Ma and Others Offer Social Media Songs During COVID-19 Outbreak — WATCH
Next Post: 45 Days, Duncan Hunter, Amazon, Marriott, Ben Platt, Masks, Tom Brady, Kentucky Derby, Sam Smith: HOT LINKS »

Primary Sidebar

Adjacent News

  • Madison Square Garden’s facial recognition blacklisting sparks outcry

    Madison Square Garden’s facial recognition blacklisting sparks outcry

  • Over half of LGBTQ parents surveyed in Florida considered leaving state over ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law

    Over half of LGBTQ parents surveyed in Florida considered leaving state over ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law

  • Watch: George Santos closes door on reporters asking about amended FEC report

    Watch: George Santos closes door on reporters asking about amended FEC report

Good Trash: Going to Read It Somewhere, Y'know

  • Steamy! Miranda Lambert Shows Off Shirtless Husband Brendan McLoughlin To Celebrate Their Anniversary

    Steamy! Miranda Lambert Shows Off Shirtless Husband Brendan McLoughlin To Celebrate Their Anniversary

  • ‘Sister Wives’ Alum Leon Brown Debuts Gender-Affirming Top Surgery Seven Months After Announcing New Pronouns

    ‘Sister Wives’ Alum Leon Brown Debuts Gender-Affirming Top Surgery Seven Months After Announcing New Pronouns

  • ‘Unfollowing Now’: Rebel Wilson Faces Backlash For Attending Lavish Hotel Opening In Dubai As Critics Address Anti-LGBT Laws

    ‘Unfollowing Now’: Rebel Wilson Faces Backlash For Attending Lavish Hotel Opening In Dubai As Critics Address Anti-LGBT Laws

RSS Partner Links

  • WATCH: Bowen Yang shares with Seth Meyers the struggles of impersonating George Santos on SNL
  • Sarah Michelle Gellar Reacts to Fan Theory 'Wolf Pack' & 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' are Connected
  • “Taylor Swift directs Taylor Swift for the ‘Lavender Haze’ music video” links
  • ‘Spare’: Prince Harry told his family about Meghan’s pregnancy at Eugenie’s wedding
  • Alan Cumming Returned His OBE To The Palace Because He Doesn’t Want To Be Associated With “The Toxicity Of Empire”
  • Pamela Anderson Defends Tim Allen And Talks About Walking In On Jack Nicholson Having A Threesome
  • Prince Andrew Has Reportedly Been Kicked Out Of His Office And Palace Apartment

Most Recent

  • US set to ease AIDS-era blood donation rules for gay men

    US set to ease AIDS-era blood donation rules for gay men

  • Learning From COVID:  Early Detection, Isolation, and Elimination Beats More Defensive Responses  As  Global Strategy for Future Pandemics

    Learning From COVID: Early Detection, Isolation, and Elimination Beats More Defensive Responses As Global Strategy for Future Pandemics

  • Phew! Truck-sized asteroid misses Earth

    Phew! Truck-sized asteroid misses Earth

  • ‘Trump fatigue’ in New Hampshire complicates 2024 White House bid

    ‘Trump fatigue’ in New Hampshire complicates 2024 White House bid

  • Monica Bellucci ‘scared’ to play Maria Callas on stage

    Monica Bellucci ‘scared’ to play Maria Callas on stage

  • ‘You’re An Embarrassment’: Kimberly Guilfoyle Gets Backlash For Making Fun Of The FBI’s Skills When Raiding President Joe Biden’s Home For Documents

    ‘You’re An Embarrassment’: Kimberly Guilfoyle Gets Backlash For Making Fun Of The FBI’s Skills When Raiding President Joe Biden’s Home For Documents

  • Tyre Nichols death: Memphis braces for protests when police video is released

    Tyre Nichols death: Memphis braces for protests when police video is released

  • Stevie Nicks Announces 2023 Tour Dates

    Stevie Nicks Announces 2023 Tour Dates

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd

Footer

Copyright © 2023 · Log in

×