"If I could cure cancer, you'd say that I put…

“If I (a politician) could cure cancer, you’d (the press would) say that I put doctors out of work” is a saying about someone who can never get honest press coverage, no matter what good things the person does. The expression has been used regarding U.S. presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

“If Byron Looper discovered a cure for cancer, ‘Looper Puts Doctors Out of Work’ would be the headline” was printed in The Tennessean (Nashville, TN) on October 23, 1998. “If Bush discovered a cure for cancer, these idiots would blame him for putting doctors out of work” was posted on the newsgroup alt.sports.football.pro.miami-dolphins on September 26, 2005. “Sonny (Governor Sonny Perdue—ed.) could cure cancer and someone would blame him for putting doctors out of work” was printed in The Telegraph (Macon, GA) on August 5, 2006. “‘President Obama could cure cancer, and republicans would attack him for putting doctors out of work.’ - Brian Rodgers #BestCommentEver” was posted on Twitter by Thomas Harris on February 26, 2013. “As heard on @DeadlineWH by award-winning documentarian Ken Burns: ‘If President Biden today was to cure cancer once and for all, the opposition would blame him for putting so many doctors out of work’” was posted on Twitter by azeeestor 🌴☀️🌵🦓🐆🇺🇦🌊☮️✌️ on February 20, 2023.

“If I could walk on water, you’d say that I can’t swim” and “He could rescue a child from drowning and you’d accuse him of starving the sharks” are similar sayings.

Newspapers.com
23 October 1998, The Tennessean (Nashville, TN), “Property assessor no stranger to trouble” by Leon Alligood, pg. 2A, col. 6:
“If Byron Looper discovered a cure for cancer, ‘Looper Puts Doctors Out of Work’ would be the headline,” (attorney Sam—ed.)Harris said. “That’s how he’s treated.”

Google Groups: alt.sports.football.pro.miami-dolphins
Re: w and storms
TFK
Sep 26, 2005, 12:18:20 PM
If Bush discovered a cure for cancer, these idiots would blame him for putting doctors out of work.

Newspapers.com
5 August 2006, The Telegraph (Macon, GA), “Long lines, some glitches with teacher gift cards” by Doug Gross, pg. 6B, col. 3:
“There are always going to be critics,” McLagan (Can McLagan, a spokesman for the governor—ed.) said. “Sonny (Governor Sonny Perdue—ed.) could cure cancer and someone would blame him for putting doctors out of work.”

Newspapers.com
11 January 2007, The Telegraph (Macon, GA), “Perdue unveils $20B budget” by Travis Fain, pg. 8A, cols. 1-2:
“Governor Perdue has put more money toward education and more funds per student than any Democratic governor,” Perdue Deputy Press Secretary Christ Schrimpf said in an e-mail. “If he found a cure for cancer, Democrats would complain he was putting doctors out of work.”

Twitter
pmbAustin
@pmbAustin
Replying to @writeanya
@writeanya Obama could personally cure cancer, and they’d attack him for putting doctors out of work. The right has gone completely nuts.
2:11 AM · Sep 4, 2009

Twitter
Ryan
@RealRyanPatrick
Replying to @NorthSideIsh
@BearsSTH So true. Cutler could cure cancer and people would say, “Hey fuck you, you put a lot of doctors out of work.”
5:42 PM · Jan 24, 2011

Twitter
Scott 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
@Sneekyboy
Replying to @509298
@509298 - Media coverage always negative. ScotGov could cure cancer & MSM would run “SNP accused of putting doctors out of work” headlines!
5:32 AM · Nov 29, 2012

Twitter
Aaron
@AisforAaron1
“Obama could cure cancer, and Republicans would attack him for putting doctors out of work.”
11:29 PM · Feb 23, 2013

Twitter
Thomas Harris
@T_Harris3
“President Obama could cure cancer, and republicans would attack him for putting doctors out of work.” - Brian Rodgers #BestCommentEver
12:00 PM · Feb 26, 2013

Twitter
Mannwell D. Glenn
@theclassixjawn
Replying to @TheTechnologyGy
@TheTechnologyGy - The POTUS could cure cancer and the GOP would claim he’s putting doctors out of work.
10:38 PM · Jan 28, 2014

Twitter
BM
@bmangh
I’m reminded of a saying: “Obama could cure cancer, and Republicans would accuse him of putting doctors out of work.”
7:09 PM · Jul 20, 2014

Twitter
Mark 🐀
@iamjurassicmark
Labour could cure cancer and the papers would crucify them for putting doctors out of work.
1:57 AM · Jul 17, 2015

Twitter
TheArchiveNews
@TheArchiveNews
@seanhannity ... @realDonaldTrump could find a cure cancer and the #media would complain he’s putting doctors out of work . #Trump2016
4:15 PM · Sep 14, 2016

16 April 2017, Poughkeepsie (NY) Journal, “Online readers weigh in on U.S. missile strike of Syria,” pg. A13:
Rich Thomas: “Trump could personally cure cancer and liberals would complain that he is putting doctors out of work.”

WGBH News (Boston, MA) (This story was published in several places.—ed.)
18 May 2017, The World (Minneapolis, MN), “Trump’s merchandising man in Iowa wants you to give the president a chance” by Jason Margolis, pg. ?:
“I’ve never seen in my lifetime—I’ve seen a lot of presidents come and go—I’ve never seen one treated like this,” he said. “Everything that he does is under a microscope, there’s a negative spin on it. President Trump could cure cancer and there’d still be people that are mad at him because he’s putting doctors out of work.”
(Spoken by Dave McNeer in Newton, Iowa.—ed.)

Google Groups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
OT? - This is Hilarious
George Anthony
Sep 11, 2020, 9:17:53 PM
They blew it with the soldier story so they’re just moving to the next insanity. Trump could cure cancer and the liberal loons would accuse him of putting doctors out of work.

https://www.foxnews.com/media/the-atlantic-end-nobel-peace-prize-trump

Jeff Davis Ledger (Hazlehurst, GA)
Death & Taxes — By John Reed
By Editor | September 30, 2020
(...)
It’s certain Trump could cure cancer and his opponents would accuse him of putting doctors out of work.

Twitter
Kevin Ward
@DogGoneSilly
Historian filmmaker Ken Burns, in a Nicole Walllace interview commented, “if Joe Biden were to cure cancer tomorrow there will always be people who would complain he put doctors out of work.”
5:49 PM · Feb 20, 2023

Twitter
azeeestor 🌴☀️🌵🦓🐆🇺🇦🌊☮️✌️
@azeeestor
HAHAHA. As heard on @DeadlineWH by award-winning documentarian Ken Burns:
“If President Biden today was to cure cancer once and for all, the opposition would blame him for putting so many doctors out of work.”
I haven’t stopped giggling. Nicolle Wallace was totally amused too.
7:40 PM · Feb 20, 2023

“If I could cure cancer, you’d say that I put doctors out of work” (bad press)