Rick Bright was dismissed as head of the Office of Advanced Research and Development in Biomedicine. This came after he opposed Donald Trump, who promoted a highly controversial drug as a cure for COVID-19.
According to the agency “Associated Press,” the U.S. president has comprehensively advertised hydroxychloroquine. He even promoted the drug from the rostrum in the White House meeting room.
Bright, who heads a federal agency reporting to the Ministry of Health, criticized this approach, because there was no evidence of the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine in the fight against coronavirus infection.
“Contrary to the misguided directives, I have restricted the widespread use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, promoted by the administration as a panacea but clearly devoid of scientific value”, – the official said.
Bright was then dismissed from his post. It happened on Tuesday. His lawyers said the move was “a retaliatory strike, simple and understandable”.
Trump was asked about what happened at the White House briefing last week, but the president said he had never heard of Bright at all.
“The guy says he was kicked out of his job”, – Trump said. – “Maybe he was. Maybe he wasn’t. I don’t know who he is.”