Pope FrancisPope FrancisPope declined to meet with Pompeo Pompeo calls on Vatican to denounce China for human rights abuses Vatican cardinal in charge of saint making resigns amid financial scandal MORE said on Sunday that the coronavirus pandemic shows that “trickle-down” economic policies don’t work.

The pope signed an 86-page encyclical on human fraternity on Saturday in Assisi, in which he criticized trickle-down economics, Reuters reported. 

Trickle-down economics is a conservative theory that suggests tax breaks and other incentives for the rich and businesses will benefit the entire society, by leading to more investment and job creation. 

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“There were those who would have had us believe that freedom of the market was sufficient to keep everything secure (after the pandemic hit),” the pope said.

Pope Francis condemned the economic policy, calling it “this dogma of neo-liberal faith” that resorts to  “the magic theories of ‘spillover’ or ‘trickle’ … as the only solution to societal problems.”

He said he instead promotes a theory that “makes it possible for jobs to be created and not cut,” according to Reuters. 

The pope labeled the Great Recession crisis as a missed opportunity for economic change, saying it ended up creating “increased freedom for the truly powerful, who always find a way to escape unscathed.” He said society has to confront “the destructive effects of the empire of money.”

Pope Francis advocated for redistribution of wealth to help the poor and “administer it for the good of all.” But he added he was “certainly not proposing an authoritarian and abstract universalism.”

The encyclical also delved into other topics like fraternity, immigration, the wealth gap, economic and social injustices, health care imbalances and political polarization.  

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Pope Francis has denounced trickle-down economics in the past calling it a scam in 2013.  

“Some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world,” Francis wrote in 2013. 

“This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naïve trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system,” he continued.

The coronavirus pandemic has rocked economies around the world as Johns Hopkins University has recorded more 34.9 million confirmed infections and more than 1 million deaths worldwide. 

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President TrumpDonald John TrumpState Department revokes visa of Giuliani-linked Ukrainian ally: report White House Gift Shop selling ‘Trump Defeats COVID’ commemorative coin Biden says he should not have called Trump a clown in first debate MORE on Tuesday sought to downplay the coronavirus by comparing it to the flu, even though the coronavirus has killed many more people than the flu has in recent years. 

“Flu season is coming up! Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu,” Trump tweeted. “Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!”

 

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Twitter later placed a label on the tweet warning that it violated rules about spreading coronavirus misinformation. The post is still viewable, but users cannot interact with it. 

The coronavirus has already killed more than 210,000 Americans. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, the deadliest flu season in recent years was 2017-2018 when it killed an estimated 61,000 people. And many seasons were much lower; 23,000 people died of the flu during the 2015-2016 season. 

“Doctors and scientists are working to estimate the mortality rate of COVID-19, but at present, it is thought to be substantially higher (possibly 10 times or more) than that of most strains of the flu,” a Johns Hopkins University fact sheet reads.

Experts say coronavirus deaths could be even higher if it were not for the measures put in place to slow the spread, from business closures to mask wearing.  

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Trump himself, appearing with his coronavirus task force in late March, pointed to estimates that as many as 2.2 million Americans could die from coronavirus if it were not for the measures taken to slow the spread. 

“Think of the number: 2.2 — potentially 2.2 million people if we did nothing,” Trump said then.  

Trump also told journalist Bob Woodward in early February: “It’s also more deadly than your — you know, your, even your strenuous flus.” 

Trump has sought several times to downplay the virus in recent days, despite being diagnosed with COVID-19 on Friday.

Before being released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday, where he was being treated, he posted a tweet that said, “Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid.”

He posted a video with a similar message upon returning to the White House on Monday. 

“Don’t let it dominate you,” he said. “Don’t be afraid of it.”

–Updated at 11:33 a.m.

The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly said Wednesday it has requested emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an antibody treatment for the coronavirus. 

The company said it had submitted an initial request to the FDA for its antibody treatment, which was derived from a blood sample of a patient who recovered from the coronavirus. The treatment essentially injects a manufactured version of one of the body’s tools for fighting the virus into patients. 

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The company is asking for emergency authorization for higher-risk patients who have recently been diagnosed with “mild to moderate COVID-19.” The company said last month that data from a phase two study showed the treatment reduced the hospitalization rate for people who received it. 

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Antibody treatments are viewed as promising, and President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump and Biden’s plans would both add to the debt, analysis finds Trump says he will back specific relief measures hours after halting talks Trump lashes out at FDA over vaccine guidelines MORE received a similar treatment last week made by a competitor company, Regeneron. 

Eli Lilly also reported data on Wednesday for a treatment using a combination of two antibodies, as opposed to the single antibody on which it applied for emergency authorization. The company said the combination treatment reduced levels of the virus in patients and rates of hospitalization. It said it expects to file for emergency authorization for that treatment in November. 

For the single antibody treatment, Eli Lilly said it expects it could have 100,000 doses available in October, if it receives FDA authorization, and one million doses in the fourth quarter of 2020. 

“Our teams have worked tirelessly the last seven months to discover and develop these potential antibody treatments,” said Daniel Skovronsky, Eli Lilly’s chief scientific officer. “We believe the data generated to date provide sufficient evidence that both monotherapy and combination therapy may be effective to treat COVID-19 in patients with a high risk for serious outcomes. Lilly is diligently working with regulators around the world to make these treatments available.”

Donald Trump Jr.Don John TrumpTrump campaign launches ‘Operation MAGA’ while president recovers from COVID-19 ‘Tiger King’ star Joe Exotic requests pardon from Trump: ‘Be my hero please’ Zaid Jilani discusses Trump’s move to cancel racial sensitivity training at federal agencies MORE released a new video on Wednesday encouraging hunters and other outdoorsmen to vote for his father next month. 

The president’s son, an avid hunter himself, highlighted moves by the Trump administration to make public lands more accessible for sportsmen. 

He also alluded to a bipartisan bill the president signed this year that would devote $900 million annually for  conservation programs like securing land for national parks. 

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“Make sure you recognize what’s actually gone on. Make sure that you realize that Donald Trump has delivered for you,” Trump said in the video posted to Twitter. 

A source familiar told The Hill that for now the ad is just on social media. 

The Trump administration has made significant moves to expanding hunting and fishing access. 

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It recently opened up or expanded hunting and fishing at nearly 150 national wildlife refuges and fish hatcheries and has eased restrictions on hunting bear cubs and wolf pups at national preserves in Alaska.

An Interior Department statement from August said that the Trump administration has expanded hunting and fishing over a total of more than 4 million acres. 

Some conservationists have opposed these measures, as well as actions taken by the administration to shrink or remove protections from national monuments including the Bears Ears National Monument, the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. 

The president’s eldest son has frequently touted his own affinity for hunting.

However, he faced scrutiny last year after ProPublica reported that he shot and killed a rare sheep in Mongolia and was retroactively given a hunting permit from the Mongolian government.

A Trump Jr. spokesperson denied accusations of wrongdoing at the time. The Fish and Wildlife Service reviewed the allegations and found “no basis” to investigate.

President Trump is facing a tough reelection fight against former vice president Joe BidenJoe BidenTrump and Biden’s plans would both add to the debt, analysis finds Trump says he will back specific relief measures hours after halting talks Chance the Rapper, Demi Lovato to play digital concert to encourage voting MORE, trailing Biden in many national polls. 

Democrats are rallying behind a child tax credit expansion, sensing momentum around one of the few tax issues that could garner bipartisan support in the coming months.

The proposal was included in the House-passed HEROES Act in May and later highlighted by Democratic presidential nominee Joe BidenJoe BidenTrump and Biden’s plans would both add to the debt, analysis finds Trump says he will back specific relief measures hours after halting talks Chance the Rapper, Demi Lovato to play digital concert to encourage voting MORE in September. More recently, a slimmed-down version of the proposal was part of the revised HEROES Act that House Democrats passed last week.

While Republicans have not been supportive of those larger bills, they have expanded the child tax credit in the past, making Democrats hopeful that there could be congressional action either later this year or in early 2021.

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“Not only does it help families now, I think it’s good long-term policy,” Rep. Suzan DelBeneSuzan Kay DelBeneDemocrats say affordable housing would be a top priority in a Biden administration On The Money: McConnell not certain about fifth coronavirus package | States expected to roll out unemployment boost in late August | Navarro blasts ‘stupid’ Kodak execs On The Money: Economists flabbergasted after Congress leaves with no deal | Markets rise as the economy struggles | Retail sales slow in July MORE (D-Wash.), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, told The Hill.

Democrats have long been interested in expanding the child tax credit in an effort to provide more assistance to low- and middle-income families and have renewed these efforts as part of their push for another coronavirus relief package.

The initial $3.4 trillion HEROES Act would expand the credit in several ways for 2020. It would make the credit fully refundable so that the lowest-income households and households that lost jobs could receive the full amount of the credit, and it would increase the credit amount from $2,000 per child to $3,000 per child, or $3,600 for children under the age of 6. Seventeen-year-olds, who currently don’t qualify for the credit, would be eligible.

The initial proposal also would direct the Treasury Department to endeavor to provide the expanded credit as advance payments on a monthly basis, so that people would not have to wait until they file their 2020 tax returns next year to get relief.

The updated version of the HEROES Act, which was scaled back to have a smaller overall price tag of about $2.2 trillion, includes provisions on full refundability and advanced payments but does not increase the credit amount.

The prospects for a deal on a COVID-19 relief package between Democrats and the Trump administration are shaky and looking less likely after President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump and Biden’s plans would both add to the debt, analysis finds Trump says he will back specific relief measures hours after halting talks Trump lashes out at FDA over vaccine guidelines MORE on Tuesday tweeted that he’s directed his representatives to stop negotiating until after the elections.

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After Trump’s tweet, Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiDemocratic Rep. Carbajal tests positive for COVID-19 Trump defends move to halt relief talks, accuses Democrats of playing ‘games’ Biden pounces on Trump decision to end COVID-19 relief talks MORE (D-Calif.)  wrote in a letter to colleagues that the president “has prioritized protecting the tax cut for the wealthiest from the CARES Act instead of meeting the needs of the poorest children in America — rejecting the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and the needs of school children learning safely in-person, hybrid, or virtual.”

The White House presented a proposal to Pelosi  last week with a cost of about $1.6 trillion that did not include an expansion of the child tax credit. Pelosi highlighted this difference in a letter to House Democrats on Friday. She also noted that the administration has not joined Democrats in proposing an expansion of the earned income tax credit, which benefits low- and middle-income workers.

“Essential to the well-being of America’s working families is the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit,” Pelosi wrote. “In the original Heroes Act, we allocated to $149 billion, which we have cut to $57 billion in the updated bill. The Republican proposal had zero.”

If Democrats are unable to reach an agreement with the Trump administration on a new stimulus package, they may be able to enact an expansion of the child tax credit next year if Biden wins the presidential election.

The former vice president said he supports the HEROES Act, and his campaign put out a document last month — prior to the release of the smaller-scale version of the package — that touted the version of the child tax credit expansion in the initial version of the Democratic proposal.

“Biden will in fact give working families meaningful tax relief,” campaign policy director Stef Feldman said on a call with reporters in September.

Congressional Democrats say they are encouraged by Biden’s public display of support.

“I’m excited that they are supportive, and we need to work together to get the policy in place so we can continue to help families,” DelBene said.

An aide to Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee said Rep. Richard NealRichard Edmund NealUnanswered questions about Trump’s finances after NYT report Poll finds support for independent arbiters resolving ‘surprise’ medical bills Democrats blast Trump after report reveals he avoided income taxes for 10 years: ‘Disgusting’ MORE (D-Mass.), the panel’s chairman, would continue to push for expanding the credit under a Biden administration.

In addition to providing a temporary expansion of the child tax credit during the pandemic, many congressional Democrats want to permanently enhance it. Legislation to do so has overwhelming support from Democrats in both the House and Senate.

The coronavirus recession isn’t the first time that Democrats have pursued enhancements to the credit during an economic downturn. A stimulus bill that former President Obama signed in 2009 amid the Great Recession included a provision that allowed more low-income families to be able to use the it. This change was initially temporary but was later extended, and it was made permanent in 2015.

An expansion of the child tax credit would likely be more popular among Republicans than other Democratic tax proposals. Trump’s 2017 tax-cut law made changes to the credit that included increasing the credit amount from $1,000 to $2,000 and increasing the amount that families can get as a refund from $1,000 to $1,400. Last year, Sen. Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyMcConnell: Next Trump-Biden debate should be more respectful The Hill’s Campaign Report: Team Trump on defense over president’s comments on white supremacy One down, three more debates to go MORE (R-Utah) joined Sen. Michael BennetMichael Farrand BennetOVERNIGHT ENERGY: House Democrats tee up vote on climate-focused energy bill next week | EPA reappoints controversial leader to air quality advisory committee | Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to ‘forever chemicals’ Senate Democrats demand White House fire controversial head of public lands agency Next crisis, keep people working and give them raises MORE (D-Colo.) in putting forward a proposal to create a larger credit for children under 6 and to make part of the credit fully refundable so that households under the phase-out levels can receive some credit amount regardless of their income.

Kris Cox, a senior tax policy analyst at the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said that the portion of Democrats’ proposals to make the credit fully refundable is particularly important. Under current law, families have to earn at least $2,500 to qualify for any of the refundable part of the credit, and the credit amount phases in with income. Cox said that about 27 million children live in households that don’t qualify for the full credit because their incomes are too low.

“Making the child tax credit fully refundable would provide the hardest hit families with relief at a time when it really matters,” Cox said. She added that it could also help to stimulate the economy, because low-income households are most likely to spend additional dollars that they receive rather than save them.

Marc Goldwein, senior vice president and senior policy director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a budget watchdog, said that making the child tax credit more refundable could be a good stimulus but also said that including this in coronavirus relief legislation feels like “mission creep.”

“The goal of COVID relief should be to address the current needs of the economy and the country, not to get a foot in the door for policies you would have supported anyway,” Goldwein said. He added that if policymakers want to expand the credit, they could pay for doing so through offsets that could be phased in over time.

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President TrumpDonald John TrumpJaime Harrison debates Graham behind plexiglass shield Doctors, White House staff offer conflicting messages on president’s health Trump given second dose of Remdesivir ‘without complication’, ‘not yet out of the woods’, Conley says MORE’s coronavirus diagnosis poses a critical test for Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoGOP Sen. Thom Tillis tests positive for coronavirus Pelosi tests negative for COVID-19 Barr tests negative for COVID-19 MORE and the State Department as they seek to project stability and strength to U.S. allies in final days before the presidential election.

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Pompeo, who was on travel in Europe when the president announced he and first lady Melania TrumpMelania TrumpJaime Harrison debates Graham behind plexiglass shield Doctors, White House staff offer conflicting messages on president’s health Trump given second dose of Remdesivir ‘without complication’, ‘not yet out of the woods’, Conley says MORE had tested positive for COVID-19, made the decision to carry on his diplomatic trip in Croatia before returning to the U.S. as scheduled.

But a weeklong trip to Asia beginning on Sunday was postponed over the escalating concern over the president’s health. The secretary had earlier said his team are making decisions about traveling abroad on an “hour by hour basis.”

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The State Department said on Saturday evening that Pompeo will travel to Tokyo, Japan from October 4 through 6, where he will meet with the foreign ministers of Australia, India, and Japan. 

The group, known informally as the “quad,” is expected to discuss the challenges of a nuclear North Korea and confronting China.

But trips to Mongolia and South Korea are being rescheduled.

As fourth in line for the presidency, Pompeo will maintain a close line to Washington on the president’s condition and will be a key voice to the international community on the stability of the U.S. government.

“This is when you need that consistent message,” said Kenneth Yalowitz, who served as U.S. ambassador to Belarus and Georgia in the 1990s and early 2000s.

“In a situation like this, the White House and the State Department in all likelihood come together, and I think everyone realizes the huge importance of this situation and I can’t conceive of a jumble of messages and a bunch of confusing signs.”

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But Trump and the White House have rarely projected a clear and consistent message on any issue and the questions surrounding the president’s health is raising fears that adversaries will have an opportunity to exploit the current moment.

“We were already in a period, because of the election, that the country’s attention was so focused inward,” said Dan Shapiro, who served as U.S. ambassador to Israel in the Obama administration. “Now you compound that with a president being less than fully healthy, even in some scenarios incapacitated, and you realize that the health of the president’s safety is a national security issue.”

Foreign leaders — including Russian President Vladimir PutinVladimir Vladimirovich PutinPreventing a foreign ‘October surprise’ while the president is quarantined Is it Macron — not Trump — who’s breaking the NATO alliance? Germany calls for Russian sanctions after alleged poisoning of opposition leader MORE and a top official in China — have poured in messages wishing the president and first lady a speedy recovery.

Yet experts are warning that despite the public goodwill, the risks posed by these countries are becoming even more acute.

“With the President’s illness amid a divisive campaign, we should not discount the possibility that China will step up pressure on Taiwan or Russia seek to take advantage in Eastern Europe,” tweeted Nicholas Burns, a foreign policy adviser to the campaign of Democratic presidential nominee Joe BidenJoe BidenPost-debate poll finds Biden with leads in two key states Democrats warn Supreme Court confirmation would endanger senators’ health, call for delay Sunday shows preview: Trump COVID-19 diagnosis rocks Washington, 2020 election MORE and a two-time former U.S. ambassador. “Important the U.S. signal to both that we are watching and remain fully capable.”

Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said that the president’s diagnosis is likely to contribute to the political division in the country but will have little bearing on the institutions charged with protecting America’s security.

“We have a healthy secretary of Defense, healthy secretary of State, an entire bureaucracy and cabinet that continues to function as it was functioning before this announcement was made public,” he said.

“In terms of vulnerability, I don’t see it from an intelligence or military perspective, it’s more the continuation of the political chaos that we have seen as a result of the virus.”

And Pompeo has signaled that he is moving ahead on addressing what the administration views as the most pressing national security challenge facing the U.S.: confronting China.

His travel this week, to Japan will give him a prominent platform to confront what he says are the threats posed by Beijing and the nuclear threat posed by North Korea.

The task for diplomats on the frontlines abroad and communicating with foreign embassies in Washington D.C. are likely to be reinforcing messages of gratitude over their concern for the safety and wellbeing of the president and first lady, reassuring that America has excellent medical treatment for the first family and that systems are in place to protect the continuity of government in a moment of crisis.

“For diplomats abroad the job at times like these is usually limited to reassuring host governments abroad that we have a constitutional process that assures orderly governance,” said Ronald Neumann, President of the American Academy of Diplomacy.

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Yalowitz, who served as U.S. ambassador to Georgia during the tumultuous 2000 election and weeks-long Florida recount that eventually awarded George W. Bush the presidency, said he was in near-daily contact with Georgian officials and the public reassuring them of the strength of American institutions.

“It was a good example to me of how, at a time of concern, friends who are really worried about the stability of the U.S. government, that you have to be upfront, you have to know your country, you have to know what’s going on and you have to be able to explain to your [host] what exactly is going on.”

It will be a challenging task given that international opinion of the U.S. has plummeted since Trump took office and plunged to new depths in response to his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to surveys by the Pew Research Center that measure public opinion stretching back 20 years. 

Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis is likely to further reinforce the retreat of American authority on the world stage. In over a dozen nations surveyed – in Europe, Asia and Australia – public confidence in Trump was lower than confidence in Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“Our standing in the world, clearly, is less,” Yalowitz said. “But the fact that the United States has the world’s largest economy, the largest military and we still project the most influence in the world, those are objective factors that everyone worldwide understands.”

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar testified before Congress on Friday, just hours after President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump campaign manager tests positive for COVID-19 Trump given Remdesivir as treatment for COVID-19 infection ICE launching billboard campaign highlighting ‘at-large immigration violators’ MORE disclosed he had tested positive for COVID-19, at a sometimes-combative hearing where lawmakers pressed him on the federal government’s efforts to fight the pandemic.

Trump’s coronavirus test results came after holding multiple campaign rallies, with an indoor one last month, that public health experts warned were dangerous to hold during a pandemic.

Azar on Friday declined to answer questions about whether he had advised the president not to hold those rallies, where mask-wearing and social distancing were rarely practiced. 

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“I’m not going to discuss my discussions with the president, but the president’s guidelines since April have said wear face coverings, wash your hands, wear face coverings, practice social distancing,” Azar said.

He was also asked why the first family did not wear masks at Tuesday’s presidential debate in Cleveland.

“The protective aspect around the president is a different situation than the rest of us because of the protocols around the first family,” Azar said, likely referring to the regular testing of those in contact with Trump.

First lady Melania TrumpMelania TrumpTrump given Remdesivir as treatment for COVID-19 infection Kellyanne Conway tests positive for COVID-19 Trump to Woodward in April: I’m ‘just not’ worried about contracting COVID-19 MORE also tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday.

Some lawmakers offered their well wishes for Trump and the first lady.

“All of us woke up this morning to the news that the first family and at least one of their close staff members had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and we wish for all of them a speedy and complete recovery,” said House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.).

But much of Friday’s discussion before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis focused on vaccine efforts, with Azar telling lawmakers that the president is trying to inspire hope in Americans when he talks about a vaccine being available within weeks through the administration’s Operation Warp Speed.

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Trump has repeatedly said the country could be “weeks away from a vaccine,” maybe even before the election, despite drug companies and experts saying otherwise.

“I think the president’s trying to be hopeful and hold out hope for individuals, but I want to be very clear, this will be determined by data and independent processes,” Azar said.

Public health experts have warned that such statements from Trump can reduce public confidence in the vaccine approval process. Polls show Americans are growing increasingly skeptical about a potential COVID-19 vaccine, citing worries about political interference and the speed of the process. 

Anthony FauciAnthony FauciDemocrats press Azar on COVID-19 efforts at testy hearing shortly after Trump tests positive Conservative operatives Jacob Wohl, Jack Burkman charged in Michigan in connection with false robocalls Monica Lewinsky calls for a mental health czar on White House coronavirus task force MORE, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert and a member of the White House coronavirus task force, has noted that while Operation Warp Speed can be seen as a financial risk to the U.S. — it is investing billions of dollars in potential vaccines in hopes that at least one will work — the government is not cutting corners on safety or effectiveness.

Azar echoed those remarks Friday, saying: “We’re in fact moving quickly because we can take the financial risk away from the drug companies both on development and manufacturing but the standards remain the same.”

The approval process will be determined by career officials at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with no political interference, Azar added.

Still, Democrats repeatedly questioned him on the helpfulness of Trump’s comments, including a recent tweet alleging “deep state” actors at the FDA are “making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test these vaccines and therapeutics.” 

“Do you understand how demoralizing it is when the president makes statements like this about the scientists and then you do not stand up and confront the president for his demeaning of their motives?” asked Rep. Bill FosterGeorge (Bill) William FosterDemocrats press Azar on COVID-19 efforts at testy hearing shortly after Trump tests positive 81 Nobel laureates endorse Biden’s White House bid Trump payroll tax deferral finds few takers among businesses MORE (D-Ill.).

Azar did not directly respond to the question, instead stating that “it’s important that we have confidence in the work of FDA.”

“I support our scientists, I support our career officials, and I support our agencies,” he said.

Seven former FDA commissioners wrote in a Washington Post op-ed this week that while they have faith in career officials at the agency, “the perception of political influence matters” and is “eroding the public’s confidence.”

Trump has attacked the FDA’s plan to issue tougher standards on emergency vaccine approval as a “political move.” The FDA has approved the emergency use of potential COVID-19 treatments before evidence showed they were effective.

Lawmakers also pressed Azar on COVID-19 testing.

The former pharmaceutical company executive, who was confirmed by the Senate in 2018 to lead HHS, repeatedly refused to criticize the president’s public comments on coronavirus, mask-wearing or vaccines, even ones that were demonstrably false.

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Azar declined to answer a question from Rep. Maxine WatersMaxine Moore WatersOVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Top general negative for coronavirus, Pentagon chief to get tested after Trump result l Top House lawmakers launch investigation into Pentagon redirecting COVID-19 funds Top House lawmakers launch investigation into Pentagon redirecting COVID-19 funds Maxine Waters and Azar in heated exchange at coronavirus hearing: ‘We’re very unhappy’ MORE (D-Calif.) about whether Trump asked him to slow down COVID-19 testing.

Trump has misleadingly said the high case count in the U.S. is a result of increased testing. 

“I’m asking you if the president told you to slow the testing down,” Waters said. 

Azar replied: “I will not discuss my interactions or conversations with others.”

Asked by Waters if Azar was proud of the job he has done, he replied: “I don’t like to speak in those terms. 206,000 people have died.” 

Fauci, the CDC director, the FDA commissioner and the assistant secretary of health all told Congress in July they were never instructed by the president to slow testing. 

But at a different point in Friday’s hearing, Azar noted that a negative COVID-19 test does not always mean someone doesn’t have the virus. 

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People should not “view a negative test as a get out of jail card” because the virus has an “incubation period,” he said.

 

 

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