The Food and Drug Administration or FDA has shot down Donald Trump’s claim that the agency is being controlled by the “deep state,” which is a conspiracy theory claiming that a hidden government exists to manipulate the legitimate one.
In an interview with Reuters on Monday, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said, “I have not seen anything that I would consider to be ‘deep state’ at the FDA. I enjoy a very good relationship with the president, and I have discussed our decisions with him, and I feel very comfortable and continue to feel comfortable with that relationship.”
In a flurry of tweets on Saturday, Trump accused the “deep state” at the FDA of making it difficult for pharmaceutical companies to test coronavirus treatments. The reality star even suggested that the agency is attempting to delay trials until after 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,” he wrote on Twitter. “Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives!”
Trump also re-tweeted a story from June that was reporting the FDA’s decision to revoke emergency-use authorization for hydroxychloroquine, a drug used to treat Malaria, which Trump has repeatedly called “game-changer” in the fight against coronavirus.
“Many doctors and studies disagree with this!” Trump said.
