Checking in on Bill Mitchell, The Godfather of Being Wrong
I thought the Krassenstein Twins era would be the low point of Twitter. Remember the shirtless cartoons? Remember all of the conspiracy theories? I suppose Seth Abramson is still chugging along.
While the worst part of Democrat Twitter is hunting for the latest and greatest ten-pronged Donald Trump conspiracy theory, the worst part of Republican Twitter is doing what they do best, full and unadulterated gaslighting. No one does this better than takist Bill Mitchell.
Bill prides himself on Being Right All Of The Time -- heâs a few months away from betting Diet Dews against Skip Bayless. Anyways, the best of the best gaslighters in this niche do two things well: they signal boost when they were right, and they bury where they were wrong. Burying comes in the form of either pretending they never said that (Mitchell is an exceptional tweet deleter), or moving the goal posts (heâs even better here).
Mitchell has had a lot of takes on the coronavirus outbreak. Like many of us, he has zero subject matter expertise. That didnât stop him from screaming to a rabid, half-million follower base about the danger coronavirus didnât present to the American public. Of course, as the obvious severity of the issue has become more and more obvious, Mitchell just changed his tune -- April has seen him spending his days begging for an economy open-up, pretending death counts are fake, and calling out people like Anthony Fauci as Deep Staters. It should be noted that math isn't particularly Bill's strong suit.
Interesting that ActBlue raised an average donation of $30.38.
This would imply people are donating in uneven numbers, including pennies, which would be odd. OR it would indicate untraceable foreign donations and an exchange rate translation, which would be illegal.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) April 21, 2020
But it wasnât always like this! One thing about Twitter is you can just .. kind of .. go back in time. January and February were reserved for occasional thoughts about the virus, Chinaâs role, and the like -- mostly boilerplate stuff. In March, as limited cases spread into the States and concerns grew over the preparedness of the United States, Mitchell took it upon himself to carry as much water as he could for the federal government and their role in the pandemic.
As time elapsed, Mitchell predictably transitioned his arguments and measurement criteria to whatever looked favorable for Donald Trump on a given day. Even a thirty day snapshot of this is comical. This is a daily collection of tweets from as far back as .... March of 2020.
Can you imagine the absolute PANIC if COVID-19 numbers were as bad an COMMON FLU numbers? https://t.co/hVzlwlbxWZ
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
Imagine if we ever hit 60K dead here in the States. Imagine!
The USA is one of the most traveled to destinations on the planet. The fact we only have 88 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 2 deaths is a true credit to President Trump's efforts to keep us safe.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
Am I right in thinking the vast majority of US cases of COVID-19 were acquired outside the US mainland?
So in essence, those really aren't US cases at all. They are international cases of people from the US.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
COVID-19 began by people eating infected snakes from a Wuhan market. Wuhan death rates highest by far.
Is this due to lack of care or because ingesting the virus in food makes it more potent? Is China slowing down because people are no longer ingesting it just as with SARS?
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
Imagine for a moment that COVID-19 targets only unborn children, killing a million American babies in the womb every year.
The Democrats would be outraged, calling for Trump's impeachment for, "failing to protect the most vulnerable among us."
We could rename it to ABORTION-19.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
As you know, abortions are ... contagious?
And so what if the mortality rate of COVID-19 appears higher in some places than the flu? You will NEVER get 31 million cases of COVID-19 in the US. You will NEVER get 34,000 deaths from this disease.
And for the flu, 34,000 deaths is a SLOW season. https://t.co/eMDKepUd2V
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
COVID-19 is serious and needs to be limited. But so is the flu - much much more serious. Closing down events, businesses etc. is overdoing it.
The best solution. If you are sick, stay home. Don't go to see the Stones with the flu.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
As biological weapons go, COVID-19 is pretty mild. I mean, compare that to some of the NASTY stuff they came up with in WW1.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
COVID-19 isn't the flu.
Until COVID-19 infects 31 million and kills 34,000 Americans, the flu is worse.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
Coronavirus "survivor" had a 3 hour fever of less than 100 and not a single symptom since there.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
So every time a new virus comes along that kills 3500 people worldwide we shut down modern civilization?
COVID-19 seems to share a lot of common goals with climate change activism, doesn't it?
Coincidence?
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
How big a deal is COVID-19?
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
(As an aside, this is one of any million of examples of Bill moving goal posts. First it was nothing, then it was real but not as bad as the flu, then it was like the flu. And so on. You may know this, but Bill Mitchell -- not a doctor.)
I am seeing more and more trollbot accounts calling themselves "Trump supporters" who aren't and are spreading COVID-19 #fearporn. This is a concerted effort by the left to over-hype this. It's obvious as yesterday they called for banning Trump rallies.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
There are a bunch of these but Billâs surprise that this global health issue may not be political and, well, Republicans can actually be concerned with their health ...
Will companies start mass-layoffs for the COVID-19 dip? Unlikely. Hiring and training new staff is EXPENSIVE and CEO's understand this is all hype-driven. They don't want to unleash their hard-earned staff so their smarter competitors can scoop them up cheap.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
Certainly not an economist either.
How can Democrats say Trump is failing in his COVID-19 response when America is clearly outperforming the planet by leaps and bounds in prevention? More #FakeNews. https://t.co/VC1EO4J4nW
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
The amount of hyper-hype surrounding COVID-19 is truly without precedent.
Other than 15 people who died at an senior acute care facility in WA known for poor virus protections in the past, SEVEN Americans have died from COVID-19.
SEVEN.
Did you catch that?
SEVEN.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
I've gotten a flu shot 3 times. 3 times I got the flu shortly thereafter. I won't be rushing to get a COVID-19 shot.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
I've gotten a flu shot 3 times. 3 times I got the flu shortly thereafter. I won't be rushing to get a COVID-19 shot.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
The media can bitch all they want about Trump's "failure of leadership" on COVID-19, but the bottom line is, in a nation of 350,000,000 souls, outside of one senior care center in WA, there have been just 8 deaths from this disease.
That's REAL leadership and REAL results.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
What will be the next Democrat manufactured crisis after COVID-19 fades away with the warm weather?
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
I keep hearing that deaths from COVID-19 are going to "explode" in the US any day now.
WHEN?
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
Not an epidemiologist, either.
A month from today, how many American will have died from COVID-19?
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
This doesnât have anything to do with Bill but boy is it depressing.
Just to be clear in case you missed it:
94% of all reported deaths from COVID-19 are in THREE countries. The largest of those 3 accounting for 70% of all deaths has slowed expansion to a crawl - they've beaten it.
Take away these TOP THREE and you have only 291 global deaths.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
Ignore the dead people and you have less dead people. An update to this one would be nice.
Looks like the COVID-19 updates are in:
USA - 1 new death. 10 in serious condition.
Hardly the zombie apocalypse we've been promised.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
Other than Japan, the USA is clearly doing much better than any other major nation - and yet, the #Media is calling Trump's efforts an abject failure.
Remove the 26 deaths from one nursing home and there have been only 15 deaths in America attributed to COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/nM2iZtGy3c
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
What do fake climate models, fake COVID-19 models and fake polls have in common?
They are all fictional numbers created for one purpose, to provide a premise for that days #TDS news cycle.
None of it is real.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
March 13th is one of the earliest days where Bill began positioning his next line of arguments, transitioning from âthe numbers donât existâ to âthe numbers do exist but now they arenât realâ.
I'm amused by people who say, "just the flu." The flu infects millions and kills 10's of thousands.
When COVID-19 gets to that level, ring a bell so we'll know. https://t.co/ZUD9F54NZr
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
US testing for COVID-19 is really taking off.
Expect infection numbers to spike and mortality to plummet. I'm guessing we'll be under 1% US mortality within 2 weeks and under .5% in a month.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
Not a mathematician. Certainly not a freaking mathematician.
What makes the 127 lives lost to COVID-19 so much more valuable than the 50,000 lives lost to the flu?
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
Six weeks and annualized and .. yeah.
100% cure rate + warm weather = the end of the COVID-19 panic.
Of course, the #Media won't want to let this go since it'a all they've got, but just a matter of time now. https://t.co/V0eIsydR4H
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
Mitchell has frequently criticized the media, an easy target with such significant failings on both sides of the political aisle. But he also will very quickly circulate anything that coincides with his unfounded, baseless, void-of-science beliefs. From those same media outlets. Every time. âBelieve it only when I say so.â The usual.
No one cares about flu deaths because the flu is "common" and has no fear factor. It cannot be used politically.
And yes folks, this is ALL about politics.
This is all about beating Trump.
It won't work.
Tell me when COVID-19 reaches 55,000 US deaths.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
Yes, tell Bill when we reach 55K deaths here in the States.
Dr #FearPorn Fauci is the designated Democrat Debbie Downer of the #COVID19 crisis:
Vaccines are beginning trials!
FAUCI: "Those will take years of testing."#Hydrochloroquine very effective treating COVID-19!
FAUCI: "We need massive, slow testing before that is used."
Jerk.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
Bill Mitchell, not a doctor.
Here's the deal. If you are on Trump's COVID-19 Task Force, you DO NOT run to CNN and CONTRADICT the President unless,
YOU
ARE
THE
ENEMY.
FULL
STOP. https://t.co/72UdoU0p9I
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
COVID-19 will be over as a serious global threat within 60 days, and perhaps sooner.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
All of the arrogant liberals telling us COVID-19 is the worst disease ever to strike mankind will crawl back under their rocks in another 30-60 days when this is all over - then come back out next time some new fake disaster arises to harm Trump.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
Studies have shown, as with H1N1, CFR'S tend to be inflated by a factor of 10 early as only the sickest are tested. As time passes this changes and CFR plummets by a factor of 10.
In the end, COVID-19 will be no more deadly than H1Ă1 which was no more deadly than THE FLU.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
âH1N1 caused 18,500 laboratory-confirmed deaths with an estimated 151,700 to 575,400 deaths total in two years.â
Trust me, within 60 days, the #Media will be writing articles that COVID-19 was, "a scam by Trump all along." "He always knew there was a cure but withheld it for maximum effect."
They'll even find some way to tie it to Russia.
You KNOW it's coming.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
NY is clearly the COVID-19 apex in America. Word is major #hydrochloroquine testing may begin there tomorrow. If that happens and shows results, it's just a matter of time before President Trump has defeated "a once in 100 years" outbreak, as the #Media loved to call it.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
By wildly overhyping COVID-19, Democrats have set Trump up to be the GOAT when this thing ends in the next 30 to 60 days. They put the ball on the T for Babe Ruth with the bases loaded.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
So far today, new COVID-19 are lagging yesterday's numbers. Of course that can still change, but we are NOT seeing exponential growth. This looks like the top of a bell curve. pic.twitter.com/Fj99H9q2kA
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
My sixth sense is telling me that the research done on creating a COVID-19 vaccine will lead to a completely new approach to fighting viruses and a "Universal Virus Vaccine" which defeats all viruses ability to attach to and invade human cells.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
By the 25th of March, we were in Bruce Willis territory.
History will look at COVID-19 as the greatest overreaction in medical history based upon politics.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
There were about 15K dead globally at the time of this tweet. We are now at a quarter million dead, one month later.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, Diarrhea has killed 900,000 people. Can someone link me to the best Diarrhea Tracker? I'd like to avoid dying from Diarrhea.
Thanks.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
I donât even know, I had to include it though.
If COVID-19 numbers doubled the seasonal flu, I'd be concerned. https://t.co/pZYZOgXPLh
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
A great goalpost move. A week prior it had to âmatchâ the flu. Now itâs double. Then we can talk!
I would not put it past Cuomo to alter New York's mortality numbers. Are they counting deaths WITH or FROM COVID-19?
Something strange is going on there.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
Around the end of March, coinciding with the inevitable exponential growth being experienced in the States, Mitchell strengthened the transition from ânot a problemâ to ânot really a problemâ to âitâs not worth shutting the economy overâ to 'the numbers are fakeâ. Which is odd, because as far as I can tell, Mitchell has never disputed -- in the literal sense -- the existence of coronavirus.
I am seeing hundreds of tweets from people who had a "weird flu" in December. Many of the COVID-19 symptoms, but tested negative for flu. No one described this as "life-threatening," just the flu, maybe a bit on the mild side.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
I take whatever mortalities I see reported in Italy and divide by 10 to get close to those actually killed by COVID-19.
Their counting method is preposterous.
11% CFR is BS.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
GOOD OLD DOCTOR DOOM IS AT IT AGAIN ON CNN, HIS FAVORITE SPOT TO DUMP ON TRUMP - Fauci: U.S. Could Have 100k to 200k Deaths from Coronavirus https://t.co/oB7nXarQo1 via @BreitbartNews
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
The States are over 60K dead as of today, so "Dr. Doomâ appears to be forecasting with a reasonable degree of accuracy, unlike Bill, who is not qualified for any of this.
If 80,000 die from COVID-19 it would be roughly equivalent to a bad flu season we'd normally ignore.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
(Goal posts. Now itâs 80,000.)
Seems as if the exponential growth in COVID-19 deaths is always, "The Day After Tomorrow."
I was assured two weeks ago we'd already be at many thousands of US deaths daily by now.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
It seems Dr Birx and Dr. Fauci are completely discounting the effects of warm weather and #hydrochloroquine on COVID-19.
â Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii)
In summary: Bill Mitchell is a dangerous fool. And that is apolitical.