Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern
COVID Misinformation: Hydroxychloroquine, Bleach Injection, UV Light Promotion
Trump repeatedly promoted hydroxychloroquine 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.' Governors reported hundreds of calls to poison centers and state health hotlines 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.' His false '35% mortality improvement' claim for convalescent plasma prompted FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn to issue a correction the same day.