AGENDA: ABC Shoehorns Trans ACLU Lawyer into Explosive Diarrhea Parasite Update
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AGENDA: ABC Shoehorns Trans ACLU Lawyer into Explosive Diarrhea Parasite Update

ABC’s update on the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak, more commonly known to most as explosive parasite diarrhea, reminds one of that classic Alec Baldwin line in Glengarry Glen Ross: “Always Be Closing.” ABC did not miss an opportunity to insert a pet policy item into what SHOULD be a boring straight-news story.Watch as ABC conjures up an ACLU trans lawyer willing to come on and talk about runny bowels:Embed strangioThat was weird. Correspondent Elizabeth Schultze casts ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio, best known as the first trans attorney to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court (AND LOSE, thankfully), as some random citizen willing to come on and discuss the parasitic pain inflicted upon his manly bowels. No name in the chyron, absolutely nothing.Could Schulze have found some other random citizen to talk about their projectile poops other than someone famous for wanting to force states to allow the kids to be transed? The placement reeks very much of soft agenda on display by ABC.While we’re on the subject of cyclosporiasis, the Elitist Media are deft at discussing the disease and the broader outbreak without discussing the underlying cause. And in the case of cyclosporiasis, the underlying cause per the CDC is contamination of the various food items with human feces. More than likely, some poor farmworker trying to shortcut a bathroom break by dropping trou in the field and on the lettuce. It would be helpful for the media to actually inform the public about an urgent public safety matter instead of doing what ABC did here- using public safety as an opportunity to ever-so-softly push a preferred agenda item.Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned report as aired on ABC World News Tonight on Wednesday, July 22nd, 2026:DAVID MUIR: Tonight, back in this country, that violent intestinal illness now spreading. Now 41 states, more than 11,000 cases. And here's Elizabeth Schulze with what you need to know. ELIZABETH SCHULZE: Tonight, cases of that parasitic stomach illness skyrocketing to record levels. More than 11,000 people have been sickened in 41 states. It comes just 24 hours after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. tried to reassure the public.Does the federal government have this outbreak under control right now?ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR.: We do have the outbreak under control. We have done extensive forensics, epidemiological forensics, and we've identified the- the source of the outbreak.SCHULZE: The FDA has linked 1600 cases to lettuce supplied to Taco Bell in five states. Officials say the likely source of that cyclosporiasis outbreak is Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce from a farm in Mexico. All the companies potentially affected have removed the lettuce from their supply. In New York, Chase Strangio says he was one of more than 40 people sickened after eating a boxed lunch at a corporate event and had symptoms for weeks.CHASE STRANGIO: The main difference between this illness from the cyclospora parasite and other stomach bugs was that it last- it would not go away. It lasted a long time. I had ongoing pain.SCHULZE: David, there are more than double the number of cases we see in a typical year and we're only halfway through the season.MUIR: We’ll stay on this. Elizabeth, thanks so much.