In a co-authored New York Times opinion piece, Ezekiel Emanuel warns that the president may announce the successful development of a COVID vaccine as an “October surprise” to win the election in November. From, “Could Trump Turn a Vaccine into a Campaign Stunt:”

An emergency authorization would allow Mr. Trump to hold his news conference and declare victory. But like President George W. Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” proclamation, it has the potential to be a travesty. Millions of vaccines could be distributed without proof that the vaccine can prevent disease or transmission.

What is the saying these days, a charge “based on no direct evidence”? Good grief.

This point is worth noting. Emanuel is affiliated with the Biden campaign on its Public Health Advisory Committee, surely a relevant factor in judging the sagacity of Emanuel’s accusations.

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So, I checked to see if that was disclosed, either in the piece itself or Emanuel’s column identifier. Of course not! This is, after all, the New York Times, which has made clear that when it comes to Trump, the usual journalistic ethics no longer apply.