Trump accuses FDA ‘deep state’ of slow-walking COVID-19 vaccine

President Trump on Saturday accused the Food and Drug Administration Saturday of deliberately slow-walking COVID-19 treatments to hurt his 2020 reelection chances.

“The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics. Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives!,” Trump tweeted, tagging agency commissioner Dr. Stephen M. Hahn.

Earlier in the week, the FDA halted an emergency approval for blood plasma as a treatment for the disease.

Top government scientists, including Dr. Francis Collins and Dr. Anthony Fauci, reportedly intervened to push for a delay.

“You have a lot of people over there who don’t want to rush things because they want to do it after November 3,” Trump said Wednesday after the news broke.

The president has been urging the FDA to be more proactive during the coronavirus pandemic.

Last month, he revived his push for COVID-19 patients to take the unproven anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, after the FDA yanked its authorization for use of the drug in hospitals, citing a lack of evidence that its effective.

“Many doctors think it is extremely good and some people don’t … I happen to believe in it. I would take it. As you know, I took it for a 14 day period and I’m here, right? I’m here,” Trump said at the time.

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