Rand Paul: ‘Hatred’ of Trump drives Gretchen Whitmer to say ‘ridiculous things’ during pandemic

Sen. Rand Paul said Monday a combination of ignorance and “hatred of Donald Trump” appears to be driving Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s actions during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Kentucky Republican, who is also a physician, appeared on “Fox & Friends” for his first interview since recovering from COVID-19 when he was asked about the challenges faced by elected officials and medical professionals.

Mr. Paul was specifically asked about creeping tyranny and muddled stances on the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine.

“I think, like, the governor in Michigan, it’s her ignorance and her hatred of Donald Trump that caused her to say really ridiculous things,” Mr. Paul said.

The Democratic governor threatened “administrative action” action against doctors who prescribed the drug before clarifying the policy in late March.

“Doctors for, really since the beginning of modern medicine, have prescribed drugs that are called off-label,” Mr. Paul continued. “It’s very expensive to get a drug to be applied to a certain purpose, so it’s already approved for one purpose, like the anti-malarial drug, hydroxychloroquine. And it’s also used for lupus and a variety of other things. Probably half of these other diseases don’t have a specific indication because it costs so much money and time to get the FDA to do it. So it’s not unusual to use something like an anti-malarial drug for rheumatoid arthritis, or lupus, but it’s also not that unusual to find a new use for it like we found with the virus.”

Officials defending the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) letter in question have noted its concern with preventing stockpiling of the drug, which would deprive others who need it.

“Prescribing hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine without further proof of efficacy for treating COVID-19 or with the intent to stockpile the drug may create a shortage for patients with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or other ailments for which chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are proven treatments,” a letter published March 24 read.

Gary Miles, editor and publisher of The Detroit News, was not impressed.

“LARA’s letter, however, went well beyond a prohibition of hoarding,” Mr. Miles wrote March 30. “Four full days after LARA’s initial letter (but less than a day after [a Detroit News piece on the issue] was published), the department ostensibly clarified itself. In a second letter, it repeated the warning against hoarding and included statements from medical associations. But it never backtracked on the threat to physicians and pharmacists about prescribing these drugs for COVID-19, sowing continued confusion.”