Mark Meadows, Trump’s White House chief of staff, tells Food and Drug Administration commissioner Stephen Hahn to submit his resignation if the FDA hasn’t authorized emergency use of a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the day.
Donald Trump also publicly pressures the FDA and Hahn through his favorite online platform.
On Twitter Friday, President Trump pressured the agency publicly as well. He called it “a big, old, slow turtle,” and demanded: “Get the dam vaccines out NOW, Dr. Hahn @SteveFDA. Stop playing games and start saving lives!!!”
Axios
The Pfizer vaccine is approved hours later.
The Washington Post reports on the phone call first. Hahn later denies that Meadows pressured him in any way.
In August, Hahn lied about another coronavirus treatment after public pressure from Trump.
Sources
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/12/11/trump-stephen-hahn-fda-covid-vaccine/
https://www.axios.com/white-house-fda-threat-coronavirus-vaccine-ca8ecd8f-f333-4ea2-95cf-021be01ce920.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/12/11/trump-stephen-hahn-fda-covid-vaccine/
Photo: Daniel Schludi