Louisiana Voice

“HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine. The nice part is it’s been around for a long time, so we know that if things don’t go as planned, it’s not going to kill anybody,”

—Donald Trump, speaking to reporters on March 19 about the “benefits” of his coronavirus cure.

“Clinical trials, academic research and scientific analysis indicate that the danger of the Trump-backed drug is a significantly increased risk of death for certain patients. Evidence showing the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine in treating covid-19 has been scant.”

—Washington Post, May 15, 2020. (Emphasis added.)

“They should say, ‘We know there are harms, and until we know the benefits, let’s hold off,’”

—Joseph Ross, professor of medicine and public health at Yale University.

“It’s important to use available clinical data,” Rick Bright told lawmakers. “And if we know there are potential risks, we need to make sure that we are cognizant of those risks and make sure those drugs are used in a very safe and controlled manner.”

—Rick Bright, former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. [Bright, as we know, was demoted for disagreeing with Trump.]

So, the obvious question is: Why doesn’t our stable genius, the Tangerine Toddler, listen to those with the expertise, follow their advice and shut the hell up? If the following explanation is why, then that’s pure politics and the wrong reason and Le Grosse Orange has absolutely no business occupying the Oval Office:

“If the message were to go out with complete objectivity, it would be disastrous for Trump. So, he is doing his best to prevent experts from speaking out or using their expertise, and he’s simply trying to divert attention. It will work for some people, but he can’t get over the fact that many, many people are dying — and they’re dying on his watch. Too many people are dying, and that’s the fact that he can’t cover up however much he tries.”

—Political science professor Max Skidmore, on Donald Trump’s efforts to silence officials who disagree with him, downplay the severity of the coronavirus pandemic, and to dismiss statistics that don’t square with his demands to reopen the economy.