Trump Covid Report Stirs Calls for FDA to Rebuild Public Trust

A House report detailing coordinated attempts by Trump White House officials to influence the FDA’s pandemic response underscores the need for more transparency at an agency that’s facing historically low public trust, health policy analysts say.

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis said this week that advisers to former President Donald Trump sought to build support for hydroxychloroquine as a Covid-19 treatment, despite limited evidence on its efficacy. The report serves as a reminder of how allegations of behind-the-scenes political pressure can influence the public’s perception of federal health agencies’ independence.

“When things are happening behind closed doors, ...