Rachel Maddow Misleadingly Crops FL DOH Response to Left-Wing Conspiracy Theory

January 28, 2021 Updated 10:05 A.M. ET

NEW YORK (FCV) – On the Rachel Maddow Show via MSNBC, the host showcased a misleadingly cropped quote from Jeremy Redfern, the Press Secretary for the Florida Department of Health.

Maddow was questioning whether Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo was taking care, or working with, COVID-19 patients at University of California, Los Angeles. According to Maddow, MSNBC reached out to the Florida Department of Health for a comment on the matter.

The quote Maddow’s show depicted was cropped, reading “Thanks for reaching out to ask about this unsubstantiated conspiracy theory. It’s cute that you’re asking for comment …”

In reality, MSNBC reached out for comment a mere “39 minutes” before Maddow’s deadline (8:21 P.M., according to Redfern):

Maddow claimed that Ladapo was “misleading” the public on his experience with COVID-19 patients.

FCV reached out to the Florida Department of Health for comment regarding the theory that Ladapo lied about his experience with COVID-19 patients.

“Dr. Ladapo has absolutely treated COVID-19 patients,” Weesam Khoury, the Director of Communications for the Department said.

“He was treating patients prior to the establishment of the COVID-19 ward at UCLY, and following [its] conclusion. Prior to and following the COVID-19 ward, patients with and without COVID-19 were assigned to residence teams, which Dr. Ladapo was a part of,” Khoury continued.

“Dr. Ladapo is not only a clinician, but also spends much of his time conducting research.”

Redfern and other conservatives on social media are criticizing Maddow and her team for promulgating a disproven conspiracy theory online.