Healthcare

Trump In 2015: ‘I hear so much about the NIH and it’s terrible’

Published

2 years ago

April 14, 2020

Staff Writer

In an interview with conservative talk show host Michael Savage on “The Savage Nation” on November 2, 2015, then presidential candidate Donald Trump suggested he would clean out the bureaucracy in the National Institute of Health.

Savage, who has a PhD in nutritional ethnomedicine from the University of California, Berkeley, told Mr. Trump, “When you become President, I want you consider appointing me to head of the NIH. I will make sure that America has real science and real medicine again in this country because I know the corruption. I know how to clean it up and I know how to make real research work again.”

Mr. Trump responded to Savage, one of his earliest supporters after he announced his candidacy, by saying, “Well you know you’d get common sense if that were the case, that I can tell you because I hear so much about the NIH and it’s terrible.”

Since taking office, President Trump has retained key members of the medical establishment, particularly Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has lead the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (part of the NIH) since 1984, serving under every U.S. President since Ronald Reagan.

Dr. Savage is still an influential talk radio host, as well as a New York Times Bestselling author. In 2016, he published Diseases without Borders: Boosting Your Immunity Against Infectious Diseases from the Flu and Measles to Tuberculosis.

In late March, President Trump appointed him to serve on the board of directors of the Presidio Trust, an organization dedicated to preserving a historic park and former U.S. military fort on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco. His term expires May 4, 2023.

Related Topics:coronavirus Donald Trump NIH savage

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Healthcare

American and Southwest stand by vaccine mandate, despite Abbott’s ban

Published

1 month ago

October 13, 2021

Staff Writer

American Airlines and Southwest Airlines are still planning to comply with President Biden’s executive order regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. The order requires all their employees to be vaccinated by Dec. 8t. As a result, they will be ignoring Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s ban on vaccine mandates.

Folks, vaccination requirements work. pic.twitter.com/XuBsOQxGaN
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 9, 2021

Abbott announced his own executive order, effectively banning mandates even from private employers, on Tuesday. “In another instance of federal overreach, the Biden Administration is now bullying many private entities into imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates, causing workforce disruptions that threaten Texas’ continued recovery from the COVID-19 disaster,” Abbott said. “The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced.”

Yet both airlines are requiring their employees to be vaccinated by Nov. 24. This comes despite Southwest’s impromptu cancellation of over 2,000 flights over the weekend. At the time, the airline blamed the cancellations on air traffic control and weather conditions. However, SaraACarter.com was unable to verify that any other airline had to cancel near as many flights for the same reasons. This has left many to speculate that Southwest actually cancelled flights due to their employees walking out as a direct result of the mandate.

Just got passed this flyer from a Southwest employee #FreedomFlu pic.twitter.com/Q5gXGhxoma
— Handbrake Poso (@JackPosobiec) October 13, 2021

Reporter Jack Posobiec tweeted out a flyer circulating among the anti-vaxx Southwest employees. Currently, they are planning a protest outside of Southwest headquarters next Monday. The protest will be called “Freedom Not Force.”

Southwest told Reuters it “would be expected to comply with the President’s Order to remain compliant as a federal contractor.” In addition, American similarly said Abbott’s order does not change anything.

You can follow Jenny Goldsberry on Twitter @jennyjournalism.