COVID Misinformation: Hydroxychloroquine, Bleach Injection, UV Light Promotion
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Trump promoted hydroxychloroquine at least 65 times in White House briefings before studies established it was ineffective and potentially dangerous for COVID. He suggested at an April 23, 2020 briefing that injecting disinfectants might work as treatment and asked officials to study inserting UV light 'inside the body.' Poison control centers reported a spike in calls after the disinfectant comments. The FDA granted hydroxychloroquine an Emergency Use Authorization in March 2020 under White House pressure, then revoked it in June 2020 citing 'serious cardiac adverse events.' Trump campaign donors funded oleander extract studies. His false '35% mortality improvement' claim for convalescent plasma prompted FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn to issue a correction the same day.
Overview
The White House podium during the COVID pandemic became a venue for promoting treatments that ranged from unproven (hydroxychloroquine, convalescent plasma) to dangerous (bleach injection, UV light inside the body). The president's stated rationale was hope: "What do you have to lose?"
The answer was: cardiac arrhythmia, chemical burns, and a disrupted supply chain for drugs that immunocompromised patients actually needed.
Hydroxychloroquine
Trump promoted hydroxychloroquine at White House briefings at least 65 times. The drug had established uses for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis; it also had known cardiac side effects. The FDA granted an Emergency Use Authorization in March 2020 under White House pressure, before clinical trials could establish efficacy or safety for COVID.
The trials established neither. Multiple randomized controlled trials found no benefit. The FDA revoked the EUA in June 2020 citing cardiac risk. The disruption to lupus patients' access to their medication was documented.
The Disinfectant Briefing
On April 23, 2020, the President of the United States stood before cameras and mused aloud about injecting disinfectants as a COVID treatment. He turned to the officials beside him — the director of the DHS Science and Technology Directorate — and asked whether they could look into it.
Lysol and Dettol issued public statements. Poison control centers documented a national spike in calls. Trump claimed he had been sarcastic. The video showed no indication of sarcasm.
The FDA Pressure Pattern
The hydroxychloroquine EUA, the convalescent plasma approval, and the public attacks on FDA "slowness" documented a pattern: the White House treated the FDA as a communications vehicle for good news rather than a scientific regulator. When the FDA's data did not support the message Trump wanted to deliver, he delivered a different message and left his own FDA Commissioner to issue corrections.
Timeline
Sequence of events
March 19, 2020
Trump begins hydroxychloroquine promotion
Trump publicly promotes hydroxychloroquine as a potential COVID treatment at a White House briefing, before any clinical trial results. He will promote it at least 65 more times.
March 28, 2020
FDA grants hydroxychloroquine Emergency Use Authorization
The FDA grants an Emergency Use Authorization for hydroxychloroquine for hospitalized COVID patients under White House pressure. Supplies for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis patients — the drug's established uses — become disrupted.
April 23, 2020
Trump suggests bleach injection and UV light 'inside the body'
At a White House briefing, Trump suggests injection of disinfectants and UV light inside the body as potential COVID treatments. Poison control centers report a spike in disinfectant calls. Manufacturers issue warnings. Trump claims sarcasm.
June 15, 2020
FDA revokes hydroxychloroquine EUA
The FDA revokes its Emergency Use Authorization for hydroxychloroquine, citing evidence the drug is 'unlikely to be effective' for COVID and poses serious cardiac risks. Multiple randomized controlled trials have found no benefit.
August 23, 2020
Trump claims '35% mortality improvement' for convalescent plasma — FDA corrects him
Trump overstates the convalescent plasma data at an EUA announcement. FDA Commissioner Hahn contradicts the '35%' figure the same day and issues a correction. The incident draws criticism about White House pressure on the FDA's scientific communications.
Sources
- ↑ Trump Muses About Light and Disinfectant as Virus Cures — The New York Times
- ↑ FDA revokes authorization for hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment — The Washington Post
- ↑ Calls to poison control spiked after Trump's disinfectant comments — The Associated Press
- ↑ Trump Pressured FDA Over Convalescent Plasma as Hahn Corrected False Claim — The New York Times
Verification