Meadows: Trump coronavirus therapeutic announcement intended to put the ‘heat’ on bureaucrats

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Sunday that President Trump’s planned announcement regarding a “breakthrough” coronavirus therapeutic Sunday evening is intended to put the “heat” on bureaucrats.

Meadows during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week” also responded to the president’s tweet on Saturday accusing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of making it difficult for drug companies to test vaccines and treatments, saying Trump “is about cutting red tape.”

{mosads}“That’s what the tweet was all about,” Meadows said. “And I think you’re going to hear an announcement later today which really — he had to make sure that they felt the heat. If they don’t see the light, they need to feel the heat because the American people are suffering.”

He added that Trump will put pressure on the FDA, the National Institutes of Health or “anybody else to make sure that we deliver on behalf of the American people.”

Meadows did acknowledge, however, that FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn “was very right” to say the government was going to avoid cutting “any corners” on testing vaccines and treatments. 

The president’s tweet also suggested FDA officials were delaying testing for political reasons until after the election, prompting ABC’s George Stephanopoulos to ask Meadows why Trump wouldn’t fire Hahn.

Meadows responded by saying people had been relocated in the administration but added, “It’s almost impossible to fire a federal employee regardless of what they do wrong.”

“We really need to make sure that we have good science and the proper protocol,” he said. “But we also can’t wait around and assume that this virus is going to go away. This president wants real results, and that’s why he took to Twitter.”

“I believe there are a number of people that do not see the same sense of urgency as he sees,” he added. 

.@GStephanopoulos: So Trump does believes there are those in the FDA who are trying to delay testing vaccines and therapeutics for political purposes?

Mark Meadows: “I believe that there are a number of people that do not see the same sense of urgency.” https://t.co/P6iz1jjwYE pic.twitter.com/C2lLlPTAJ5

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) August 23, 2020

The chief of staff hinted that more announcements are coming in the next two weeks after White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Trump would announce a “major therapeutic breakthrough” on Sunday evening.

Trump in his tweet on Saturday alleged that the “deep state” at the FDA was creating obstacles to testing vaccines and treatments.

“Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives!” he added.

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! @SteveFDA

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 22, 2020