Peter Navarro on Defense Production Act, reports of a heated exchange with Dr. Fauci on hydroxychloroquine
National Defense Production Act policy coordinator Peter Navarro joins 'Fox & Friends' from the White House.
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White House trade adviser Peter Navarro had a heated interview with CNN host John Berman on Monday over his stance on hydroxychloroquine and later went on “Fox & Friends” to elaborate on his thoughts about the drug that he feels could help combat coronavirus.
Over the weekend, Axios reported, the White House Coronavirus Task Force “had its biggest fight yet" when Navarro sparred with Dr. Anthony Fauci on Saturday over hydroxychloroquine, an unproven drug that some members of the task force feel can help combat coronavirus.
“If we didn't have disagreement and debate in the Trump administration, this administration wouldn’t be as strong as it is,” said Navarro, who currently serves as an assistant to the president as director of trade and manufacturing policy.
Berman and Navarro sparred over his qualifications and at one point the host asked Navarro if he felt Dr. Fauci was wrong. The White House adviser responded that doctors disagree all the time and second opinions are always encouraged.
He then asked Berman if he would take hydroxychloroquine himself.
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“Would I take it if I got sick? I would listen to my doctor,” Berman said. “I would consult my doctor… not someone involved with trade policy… do you want an internist striking trade deals?”
Navarro smirked and saud, “Touché,” before accusing the CNN host of “setting up a false narrative.”
Berman disagreed, noting Navarro he “had a debate inside the Situation Room” with Fauci.
“He wants this to work. Everyone wants this to work. All he has said is, ‘Let’s let the testing and the science decide,’” Berman said, noting that Navarro simply read a study out of Wuhan and decided he’s in favor of the drug.
“That’s so unfair John,” Navarro said. “In that meeting I had over 100 pages of numerous studies.”
Berman then asked why President Trump seemingly cut off Dr. Fauci when he was asked about hydroxychloroquine during Sunday’s press briefing.
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“That’s an unfair question to ask me. 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. When I’m saying is doctors disagree all the time,” Navarro said.
Berman shot back, “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 percent science to say that this absolutely works and we don’t know to what degree it does work. That’s not inconsistent with the idea of using it, as they do in all 11 hospitals in the New York health and hospital system,” Navarro said. “We are in, basically at war, with a virus and it appears, at least in some studies, to have therapeutic efficacy.”
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Navarro and Berman bickered about various studies related to hydroxychloroquine, as the CNN host criticized Trump recently saying, “What do you have to lose,” by trying the drug.
Berman said, “You know, as a social scientist who's read the studies, there are potential side effects. There is in fact something to lose potentially, correct?”
Navarro said, “You could take any drug in America” and list potential side effects.
“We all want the same thing, which is people to get better from this,” Berman said.
“I’m not sure we do sometimes,” Navarro responded.
“What are you talking about? Hang on, hang on,” Berman said. “I respect you… don’t you dare, for a second, suggest that I don’t want people to get better from this. I got two friends in bed right now recovering.”
Navarro accused Berman of puting words in his mouth and adding a “political overtone” and “false dichotomy” to the situation.
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“There is no false dichotomy. We want people to get better… we absolutely want people to get better and I appreciate your efforts to do so,” Berman said. “But don’t suggest that my questions are anything other than trying to figure out the science behind this.”
Navarro appeared on “Fox & Friends” shortly afterward and was asked about the Axios report about his exchange with Dr. Fauci on Saturday. He said the task force was asked if they should distribute 29 million tablets of hydroxychloroquine in hot zones.
“The task force unanimously voted to do that, with the provision that this can have side effects and that it has to be dispensed not by the federal government but by the patient-doctor relationship,” Navarro said. “I think history will judge who is right on this debate but I’d bet on President Trump’s intuition.”