Trump flouts the experts, even in own govt

WASHINGTON: When the nation’s top infectious disease doctor warned it could be risky for schools to open this fall, President Donald Trump said that was unacceptable.

When experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention produced a roadmap for how Americans could slowly get back to work and other activities, Trump’s top advisers rejected it.And when the Food and Drug Administration warned against taking a malaria drug to combat COVID-19 except in rare circumstances, Trump asked his doctor for it anyway.

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown into stark relief the extent of Trump’s disregard for scientific and medical expertise, even when the safety of millions of Americans or his own personal health is on the line. In public briefings and private meetings, he’s challenged the very experts his administration has pulled together to address the crisis, often preferring to follow his own instincts or the advice of allies in the business world or conservative media.

In doing so, Trump appears to be disregarding what has long been considered the special responsibility of the American president to set an example for the nation, unconcerned that taking a personal risk could lead millions of others looking to the White House for guidance to do the same. “He forgets that he’s president and that what he does and says, people listen to and model themselves on that,” said Lawrence Gostin, a public health expert at Georgetown University.

Health professionals’ concerns became particularly acute this week following Trump’s surprise revelation that he was taking hydroxychloroquine, a drug he and several of his allies have been pushing despite warnings from experts.