In a contentious interview with CNN “New Day” host John Berman, White House trade advisor Peter Navarro sounded off on a reported heated debate he recently had with Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci over the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine as a drug to combat the coronavirus.
Berman questioned Navarro what his qualifications are over Fauci’s and why President Donald Trump would not let him speak on the drug during a weekend press conference. Navarro shared that he has heard from other doctors at the front line that the drug works, but he agrees with Fauci that there is no “100% science” at this time proving hydroxychloroquine works.
“Dr. Anthony Fauci was asked at the briefing yesterday to weigh in on the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine and the president wouldn’t let him. So, shouldn’t we hear from the scientist on this at the briefing?” Berman asked.
“Look, John, that’s just an unfair question to ask me, OK?” Navarro replied. “It’s like if CNN wants to set up Dr. Fauci as the only authority on medicine and only rely on him that’s one set of facts. What I’m saying is doctors disagree all the time and I would talk to — I have William Glass on your program today, John. Would you do me that favor? Have Mitch Katz on.”
Berman followed that by asking, “Do you have reason to doubt the analysis of Dr. Anthony Fauci?
“I agree with the analysis of Dr. Fauci in this sense: We don’t have definitive 100% science to say that this absolutely works and we don’t know what degree that it does work,” Navarro stated. “That’s not inconsistent with the idea of using it as they do in the new — in all 11 hospitals in the New York health and Hospital system as a therapeutic at this time when we are in basically at war with a virus and it appears at least in some studies to have therapeutic efficacy, John.”
He continued, “And I get back to you, John, I mean if you — God help it if you get COVID — but if you go into a hospital and have that choice you’re going to have to make that choice and you’re going to make that choice when discussions with your doctor and as an educated man you’ll probably read all of the studies that are out there. And you’ll make that choice.”
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