Donald Trump Tried Undermining FDA by Pushing Discredited COVID-19 Treatment, House Panel Says

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis released a new report Wednesday that revealed details on the efforts of the Donald Trump White House in trying to override the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decisions.

The subcommittee has released its findings online, providing new evidence about the former administration's push to promote the discredited COVID-19 treatment, hydroxychloroquine, despite the absence of meaningful evidence suggesting it was effective.

TV Personalities Helped Push for Discredited Hydroxychloroquine Cure

According to the report, the idea of using hydroxychloroquine as a cure was brought to the attention of the Trump White House thanks to two TV personalities, namely Fox News host Laura Ingraham and current Republican Senate nominee in Pennsylvania and celebrity doctor Dr. Mehmet Oz.

The report revealed that Ingraham had a meeting with former President Donald Trump inside the Oval Office regarding the drug.

During the early stages of the pandemic, around late March 2020, the FDA originally authorized the use of hydroxychloroquine based on small studies that suggested it was effective against COVID-19.

However, by June, the FDA had concluded it was ineffective and could cause potentially dangerous heart complications. It led to the agency revoking its emergency use.

Donald Trump Administration Tried Installing Political Operatives in FDA and Control Release of COVID-19 Guidance

According to the Associated Press, the efforts of the Trump administration to control the release of COVID-19 guidance have been well documented.

It was also noted that the Trump White House actually sought to install political operatives in various public health agencies, including the FDA.

This is dangerous as the FDA serves as a gatekeeper for the drugs, vaccines, and other countermeasures against the virus. The House subcommittee panel interviewed former FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn, a Trump appointee.

Hahn was assigned the job in 2019, but Donald Trump allegedly grew frustrated with the pace of the FDA's reviews under Hahn, and he accused the doctor of delaying decisions on COVID-19 drugs and vaccines "for political reasons." It was reported that the accusations were made without evidence.

The subcommittee report also focused on the actions of White House aide Peter Navarro, who, along with Dr. Steven Hatfill, pressured the FDA and federal officials into giving widespread access to hydroxychloroquine.

Hatfill noted that they never wrongly pressured anyone, while Navarro sent an email statement to PBS news that "the subcommittee was 'wrongly' perpetuating that hydroxychloroquine 'was somehow dangerous.'"

While there was indeed pressure from the White House and efforts to install officials politically loyal to Donald Trump, PBS reported that the FDA's decisions on hydroxychloroquine or any other therapies ultimately did not change.

Republicans continued to push the hydroxychloroquine, with senators Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Mike Lee of Utah, and Ted Cruz of Texas all asking the FDA for an explanation why they denied hydroxychloroquine's authorization.

However, their stance changed to the vaccines being developed by Moderna and Pfizer soon after.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: House Oversight Committee Holds Hearing on COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Fraud - From PBS NewsHour