Trump Testing Chief Brett Giroir Says To ‘Move On’ From Hydroxychloroquine

TOPLINE

Adm. Brett Giroir, the Trump administration’s coronavirus testing czar, said Sunday that “we need to move on” from Hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug that President Trump has frequently touted as a potential treatment for coronavirus even in the face of mounting evidence of its inefficiency or even harm.

KEY FACTS

Key Background

Throughout the pandemic, Trump has pushed Hydroxychloroquine as a “miracle” treatment for the virus despite little evidence to back up his claims. Trump promoted the drug constantly between March and May, highlighting success stories and even announcing in May that he was taking the drug prophylactically, despite an NIH warning against its use.

News Peg

Trump’s promotion of the drug dwindled in June before cropping back up again last week after he tweeted a misleading video promoting it. The video featured a group of doctors–self-dubbed “America’s Frontline Doctors”–incorrectly claiming that masks and shutdowns are ineffective in combating the virus but that Hydroxychloroquine is a “cure for Covid.” One of the doctors in the video, a pediatrician and preacher named Stella Immanuel, was found to have made a number of outrageous claims, first reported by the Daily Beast’s Will Sommer, including that alien DNA is used in medical treatments, that scientists are working on a drug to ward off religiosity and that gynecological ailments are caused by people having sex with demons and witches in a dream world. Presented with some of those claims at a White House briefing on Tuesday, Trump called Immanuel “very impressive” and an “important voice,” labelling America’s Frontline Doctors “very respected doctors.”

Chief Critic

Former Vice President Joe Biden, Trump’s presumptive Democratic opponent, harshly condemned Trump’s embrace of Immanuel on Wednesday. Trump, he said, should “stop going on and talking about this crazy woman he talked about last night, who is an absolute disgrace.”

Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus