NBC News anchor Chuck Todd is at it again. His intentional fear-mongering for views has gotten old and at least one person finally shut him down and called him out for his slanted and misconstrued delivery.
Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana was the latest to take issue with Todd’s questioning, telling the journalist that he wasn’t “framing this question accurately.” Todd had asked whether the FDA’s opinion on the safety of mifepristone should matter, citing the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s classification of the drug as safe and effective.
“You have said their word matters when it comes to over–the–counter birth control, should their word matter when it comes to the use of mifepristone?” Todd asked. “I think you’re going back to the assertion that the principle basis of the court case in Texas was about the safety, and I think specifically it said that the accelerated pathway was supposed to approve a drug to treat an illness,” Cassidy said. “It is a stretch to call a pregnancy an illness and of course, obviously we know what happens to the unborn baby. And so, I’m not really quite sure you’re framing this question accurately.”
The April 8 federal ruling in Texas stated that the FDA must reverse its previous approval of mifepristone and misoprostol and classify pregnancy as an illness in order to get the drugs approved. Todd speculated that this could cause “chaos” in the pharmaceutical industry, to which Cassidy responded by calling this speculation “alarmist.”
The Louisiana senator also argued that the issue of abortion is “cultural and social” and that states have different outlooks on the issue. He agreed with New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu’s assertion that the public has a perception that Republicans are “trying to massively blow up the system” by overturning Roe v. Wade, but added that the response will vary depending on the state.
It’s worth noting that Reps. Nancy Mace and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have called on the FDA to ignore the judge’s ruling, arguing that judges should not interfere in the agency’s decision.
It’s clear that Chuck Todd’s questioning of Sen. Cassidy was off the mark. Not only was he inaccurate in framing the question, but he was also wrong to make predictions about the potential fallout of the ruling. It looks like Todd could use a refresher in how to ask impartial questions on sensitive topics.
