Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Director In Charge Of Developing Vaccine Claims He Was Demoted For Not Pushing Drug Touted By Trump

Director In Charge Of Developing Vaccine Claims He Was Demoted For Not Pushing Drug Touted By Trump
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

As the national health crisis in the United States rages on, experts like National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci have stressed that the only way to return completely to normal in the aftermath of the virus is to obtain and distribute a reliable vaccine.

Until then, social distancing and other safety measures will likely be the norm.


So it might be distressing to learn that Dr. Rick Bright, the head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) charged with researching and formulating a vaccine, has been demoted from his position for what he says was partisan vindictiveness.

For weeks, President Donald Trump has baselessly touted the drug hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug he claimed showed promise in curing symptoms of the virus that's killed over 48,900 Americans.

But other than scant anecdotal evidence, hydroxychloroquine shows little promise.

A recent study indicated that it could actually lead to a higher fatality rate. What's more, the drug has seen a shortened supply due to higher prescriptions, making it less available for those who actually need it for its proven treatments.

As a result, Dr. Bright said he clashed with the "political leadership" of the Health and Human Services department for his resistance to funding hydroxychloroquine research and trials.

Bright said he was demoted from his position as a result:

"I believe this transfer was in response to my insistence that the government invest the billions of dollars allocated by Congress to address the...pandemic into safe and scientifically vetted solutions, and not in drugs, vaccines and other technologies that lack scientific merit. I am speaking out because to combat this deadly virus, science — not politics or cronyism — has to lead the way."

Let's face it: It's not out of character for the Trump administration to oust experts who follow scientific guidelines, rather than bending blindly to the will of a President who won't heed them.

Bright's demotion marked yet another disturbing chapter in Trump's bungled response to the crisis.





Now more than ever, science and scrutiny must lead the way.



Trump trusts his gut more than his experts.

The book Between Hope and Fear: A History of Vaccines and Human Immunity is available here.

More from News

Jason Isaacs in season 3 of 'White Lotus'
HBO

'White Lotus' Star Defends His Character's American Southern Accent After Fan Backlash

British actor Jason Isaacs has responded to the backlash leveled by fans for his southern accent in the third season of HBO's White Lotus.

Isaacs plays Timothy Ratliff, a financier who is under federal investigation by the FBI back home in Durham, North Carolina, and vacationing with his wife (Parker Posey) and three children (Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sarah Catherine Hook, and Sam Nivola) at a fictional five-star resort in Thailand.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

MAGA Rep Introduces Bill Directing The Treasury To Create A $250 Bill With Trump's Face On It

South Carolina Republican Representative Joe Wilson was criticized after introducing a bill that would direct the U.S. Treasury to print a new $250 bill with President Donald Trump's face on it.

Earlier this week, he made the following announcement on X:

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk
Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Musk Is Now Asking Air Traffic Controllers To Come Out Of Retirement—And Everyone's Making The Same Point

Billionaire Elon Musk recently took to X to address the shortage of "top notch" air traffic controllers—and it didn't go well for him.

Musk, who’s heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is urging retired air traffic controllers to return to work due to a nationwide shortage of qualified air safety staff.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gene Hackman
Vera Anderson/WireImage/GettyImages

Hollywood Pays Tribute To Acting Legend Gene Hackman After His Sudden Death At 95

Hollywood is paying tribute to screen legend Gene Hackman after he and his wife were tragically found dead in their home.

The Oscar-winning actor and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, were found unresponsive during a welfare check inside their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Wednesday around 1:45 p.m.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tammy Duckworth; Pete Hegseth
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Dem Senator Gives Hegseth Mic Drop Reminder After He Waffles On Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

Illinois Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth clashed with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth by sharing a screenshot of him covering Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Fox News in 2022 to call him out after he refused to "characterize" what happened.

Earlier this month, Hegseth reaffirmed his stance on the terms of a potential Ukraine-Russia peace deal, stating that his role was to "introduce realism to the conversation."

Keep ReadingShow less