President Trump on Saturday repeatedly attacked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Twitter over its quest to find an effective cure or treatment for the novel coronavirus.
Mr. Trump took issue with the FDA in a series of posts on the platform, including a tweet in which he claimed the so-called “deep state” may by sabotaging the agency’s efforts.
He also said without evidence he believes the FDA is trying to stop any cure or treatment for COVID-19, the disease the coronavirus causes, from being released before Election Day.
“The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics. Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives,” Mr. Trump said in his first tweet on the topic Saturday.
Proponents of the “deep state” conspiracy theory effectively believe the current administration is competing with a shadow government seeking to undermine the presidency.
Mr. Trump later resurfaced a tweet from June 15 about the FDA deciding two drugs touted by the president as potential COVID-19 cures, hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, are “unlikely to be effective” in treating the contagious respiratory disease.
The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics. Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives! @SteveFDA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 22, 2020
“Many doctors and studies disagree with this,” Mr. Trump tweeted Saturday.
The FDA granted emergency approval in March for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to be used to treat COVID-19, but it revoked that authorization after finding them ineffective.
In explaining the reversal, the FDA said the “known and potential benefits” of using the drugs to treat COVID-19 “no longer outweigh the known and potential risks” of taking them.
Mr. Trump is set to compete against Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden for a second term Nov. 3.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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