The Washington Post's fact checkers looked at raging narcissist and pathological liar Donald "Moron Vector" Trump's carnival barking about various pharmaceutical "cures" for COVID-19 and surprise! it "won" four Pinocchios:
"Over the course of only a few weeks, posts online, the media and politicians turned chloroquine from an unknown drug to a “100% coronavirus cure,” misleading the public on its effectiveness and engendering unintended but negative consequences.If the scale went to 5 Pinocchios, Trump would earn 10. First, there are no "best intentions" regarding Trump's misleading the public on treatment drugs. He's knowingly pushing false hopes, even if people die from a drugs he's promoting that wouldn't have died otherwise. It's all about him, his poll numbers, and his political survival, not public health.
Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine as treatments for covid-19 are not yet backed by reliable scientific evidence. In a pandemic, it’s important for everyone to follow the lead of scientists. Rumors on the Internet are the least reliable source of information. And politicians are not qualified to provide scientific advice, despite even the best intentions.
In particular, Trump’s incorrect comments on the drugs and his role in advocating for their use, based on minimal and flimsy evidence, sets a bad example. His advocacy for this unproven treatment provides potentially false hope and has led to shortages for people who rely on the drugs. The president earns Four Pinocchios." (our emphasis)
He fears the judgement of the voters in November (and prison time) so much he's willing to sacrifice hundreds of thousands on the altar of his election in the ignorant belief that "opening" the economy prematurely will restart it. What it will restart is the spread of the coronavirus.
(illustration: João Fazenda, The New Yorker)
