CNN host John Berman let White House trade adviser Peter Navarro know in no uncertain terms that he didn’t appreciate Navarro suggesting that the media wants to see more people die from coronavirus in a tense exchange between the two men Monday morning.

The interview began with Berman referencing an Axios article which suggested that Navarro and Dr. Anthony Fauci had disagreed about the efficacy of the controversial drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. Berman asked Navarro:

“So why is Dr. Anthony Fauci, the lead infectious disease doctor in the country, wrong about this, in your opinion?”

Navarro responded:

“I have two words for you: Second opinion.”

A few minutes later, Berman noted that while he and Navarro could disagree on the specifics of how to treat coronavirus, “We all want the same thing, which is people to get better.”

That led the White House official to snidely remark:

“I’m not sure we do sometimes.”

Berman wasn’t about to let that go unchallenged, firing back at Navarro:

“What are you talking about?

“Don’t you dare for a second suggest that I don’t want people to get better. I got two friends in bed right now.”

A defensive Navarro replied:

“That’s not what I said, don’t put those words in my mouth! When you say that when we come on here and we say we all want the same thing, there’s this political overtone, this battle between, you know, you’re trying to create this false dichotomy.”

But again, Berman shut down Navarro:

“There’s no false dichotomy! We want people to get better!”

Ever since Donald Trump was elected president four years ago, there has been a deliberate attempt by him and members of his administration to attack the media for daring to ask questions or confront White House officials with facts. That suggests Trump and his advisers are engaged in trying to cover up their own mistakes. And when facts become the enemy, the result is death, as we’re seeing now with a virus that has killed more than 9,600 people in the U.S.

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