Peter Navarro Pressed About Trump Admin’s ‘False Claims’ About COVID-19 Treatments
White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro was pressed about the Trump administration’s “false claims” about convalescent plasma as a treatment for coronavirus patients. On Tuesday, Navarro appeared on MSNBC where host…
White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro was pressed about the Trump administration’s “false claims” about convalescent plasma as a treatment for coronavirus patients.
On Tuesday, Navarro appeared on MSNBC where host Andrea Mitchell questioned him about Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chief Dr. Stephen Hahn’s recent apology.
On Monday, Hahn made remarks about the benefits of convalescent plasma while disregarding the risks associated with the treatment.
Mitchell said, “He, along with the president, Secretary Azar, on Sunday night said that out of 100 people with COVID, 35 were saved by convalescent plasma in a study.”
She continued, “He now says that the criticism of those false claims, exaggerated claims, was entirely justified. That he should have said that there is a relative risk reduction, not an absolute reduction, and in fact the study was only a subset of a subset, not a randomized study.”
Mitchell went on to express her concerns about the White House’s emergency authorization of convalescent plasma.
“Now you are a PhD, an economist, you are an expert, you know a statistics inside and out,” Mitchell said, adding, “Emergency approval of using plasma this way reduces the possibility of having a proper randomized study and it falsely inflates hopes.”
Navarro responded by saying he doesn’t “accept that premise” while describing Mitchell’s remarks as “crazy talking points.”
Not deterred, Mitchell asked Navarro whether or not Hahn was incorrect.
“Well, that’s what every expert, that’s what Mayo, the Mayo clinic, which did the study is saying that, and Dr. Hahn is saying that,” Mitchell continued, as Navarro continued his attempts to interrupt. “Is Dr Hahn, let me just get my question out, is Dr. Hahn wrong?”