Trump has connections to maker of antimalarial drug.

[RandySF]

Link to tweet

?s=20

Swing Left
@swingleft
The generic drug Trump keeps pushing as as an unverified, possibly unsafe treatment for COVID-19 was made by Novartis, who paid Michael Cohen $1.2 million to get access to Trump. http://pmlive.com/pharma_news/novartis_back_in_the_spotlight_over_trumpcohen_links_1279690?SQ_DESIGN_NAME=2&
5:52 PM · Apr 5, 2020·Twitter for iPhone

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. knew it

[SheltieLover]

2. BOOM! There it is!

[Phoenix61]

3. Thanks for posting. He's always working an angle. mt

[42bambi]

41. I was absolutely sure this was the case as per Trump's adamant endorsement. However, I

thought that it was the Sonifi dug maker. Thanks for the find. It's always about money with him.

[CountAllVotes]

4. K&R !!!!!!

[volstork]

5. Of course he does.

Quelle surprise.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. I Have My Doubts

$1.2 million in campaign funds is a pittance these days.
We're talking about someone who owes BILLIONS to multiple creditors. $1.2 million that never has to be repaid is not the leverage this tweet suggests.
He's pushing this because right wingers believe the "miracle cure" nonsense, and he's grasping at straws.
Even Rs, in a recent poll, at 40%, think he responded too slowly.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213238226

[reACTIONary]

33. IMHO, you are right. nt

[Marie Marie]

45. And, he is never wrong. The more pushback he gets on his stupidity,

the more he doubles down. He just can't let it go.

[sarcasmo]

52. It explains why Rudy Giuliani has been drug pimping on Twitter the last three weeks.

https://www.thestreet.com/politics/novartis-now-subject-to-a-pair-of-michael-cohen-probes-14588877

[The Magistrate]

7. Oh, My, Sir

My my my my my....

[flying_wahini]

8. Shocked, I tell you! Shocked.

Not

[stillcool]

9. I don't see a connection....yet

Since it's about them paying Cohen for access, which they didn't get...back then. I think Rudy is the facilitator.

[Igel]

15. Doesn't matter.

Don't need enough evidence to construct an argument, need enough evidence to provide a basis to believe what we already wanted to believe.

There are two drugs. Hydroxychloroquine (registered by Novartis in the US, but it's unclear that's anything like a monopolistic patent) and chloroquine. Both seem to be made by a variety of manufacturers.

I personally think that when India decided to bar export of chloroquine it said something significant about the drug's manufacturing base.

I think Trump latched onto a thing that he saw mentioned as a possible salvation and his mind can't let it go or accept any nuance or complexity.

[reACTIONary]

34. IMHO, you are right. nt

[bluestarone]

10. Well i now see the FIRST question he should be asked

Tomorrows news conference!!

[AdamGG]

47. And he'll say that's a nasty question and the organization you work for is fake news

I'd like to see all the media, except for Fox and Sinclair just walk out and refuse to cover him. That's only appropriate response.

[Blue Owl]

11. Probably some golf course deals being made on the back 9

n/t

[Flaleftist]

12. It looks like they got their $1.2 million worth.

[ffr]

13. ABC, CBS, Faux, why didn't you break this story?

Maybe because you're in the pocket of the corporations.

[Hoyt]

16. They did, as early as May 2018.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/stormy-lawyer-transactions-suggest-cohen-was-selling-access-trump-n872731

And many more "broke" it. Even Mueller investigated.

[ffr]

17. But now that the tie-in is complete with tRump pimping their generic drug as a possible cure?

Silence. There's the appearance that all of their journalists have been fired.

[Hoyt]

23. There are at least 4 major producers including Bayer, Teva, Norvartis producing the drug.

And, they are all contributing over 150 million tablets around the world. A month's treatment for Lupus, RA, etc., wholesales for less than $5 bucks. They don't need that much for CV19 therapy.

trump isn't going to profit financially from this. I do believe he's hawking a miracle because it's the only chance he has of coming out of this without a good portion of his ignorant white wing base abandoning him.

And, I'm afraid we are playing right into it.

[erronis]

27. Thanks for your info. I never understood how dump could profit from this.

given the low cost of these drugs.

Trying to act like a pharmacist/doctor/president? That's another issue.

[jberryhill]

30. Yep

[reACTIONary]

35. IMHO, you are right. nt

[spanone]

14. Now it at least makes sense. FOLLOW THE MONEY.

[malaise]

18. This is a very old drug and there are several generic options

I know most of it is made in India. I want to know how they're making big money off of this.

[robbedvoter]

22. If you get an off prescription use in the middle of a pandemic

and start bidding wars like he did wit PPE and ventilators, $ follows

[Hoyt]

24. They aren't.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

54. If a new use is found for an existing drug, can you patent that use?

With a patent, you can charge anything you want, apparently.

[malaise]

55. I don't know

but I don't see how. The only thing that might make money is supply and demand

[liberalla]

19. Of course he does! Just takes a little time for connections to be revealed...

but be revealed they will!

[robbedvoter]

20. Rudy must have $ in it too

by the zeal he is pushing it

[2naSalit]

21. Do they live at MAGA laga?

[Enoki33]

25. Why the hell isn't this all over as breaking news?

[Mersky]

26. Aha. Of course.

[Grasswire2]

28. The most important (and obvious) question has not been asked at press conference:

"Do you or any member of your family have or have had a financial interest in either of the two prescription drugs you are promoting to the American people?"

[jberryhill]

29. Why does he care that Cohen got $1.2M

It’s a cheap drug which, like aspirin, is manufactured by a lot of companies in addition to Novartis.

Why should Trump care that Cohen got paid?

[struggle4progress]

38. I'd guess some of that million was re-routed to The Don

[jberryhill]

42. Oooh, a whole million?

So, let me get this straight.

The idea is that Novartis paid Cohen some money several years ago (and, no, all of Cohen’s financial records got a good going over, he didn’t funnel any money to Trump. Perhaps you missed the part where Cohen publicly testified, but I digress).

Out of Trump’s well known loyalty to his friends, he feels compelled to reward Novartis for a payment they made to Cohen years ago.

That makes about zero sense.

[struggle4progress]

50. Trump's insistent promotion, of a malarial drug that has never shown clinical promise

as an anti-viral, despite 40 years of optimistic research, begs for some explanation

We know that Cohen paid Stormy Daniels on behalf of Trump: that's the kind of financial machinations that these folk use. Later Cohen complains in public that Trump never paid him back. Was Cohen making the payment from the goodness of his heart? Did Trump sucker him? Or did the money come from somewhere else?

Here's a scenario:

Longtime Trumpster Cohen (to Trump): Novartis wants you to do so-and-so
Trump (to Cohen): I need to pay $x to X

Cohen (to Novartis): I'll talk to him for $(x + y)$
*Cohen scratches lobbying off his contract, but Novartis doesn't care and pays up*

Cohen (to bank): Send $x to X

Trump (to Cohen): I hear X got the money. Good!

*Trump does something to help Novartis*

[jberryhill]

53. I think the answer is simpler

You have a disease that, 85% of the time, resolves without major complications. So, you can tell people to do anything and, most of the time, they’ll get better.

He’s been told by his idiot friends that it works, despite the lack of reliable evidence.

Like a desperate gambler at the roulette wheel in a Vegas at 3AM, he’s doubling down and thinking he’ll get lucky and be a big hero.

[Hoyt]

39. Don't ask tough questions.

[Under The Radar]

31. I bet my chainsaw that it is deeper than that

But I doubt that we can gain access until after the election. But look at the shipment of PPE to China, look at the distributors of what the government purchased thus far.....just look at everything Jared has got fingers in

[keithbvadu2]

32. Ask Cohen what happened to the money.

Ask Cohen what happened to the money.

Did any of it benefit Trump?

[jberryhill]

43. Why would anyone need to ask Cohen

Cohen’s bank records were available to prosecutors. If you will recall, he was convicted of crimes involving his business dealings based on the evidence of his bank records.

[bucolic_frolic]

36. Right, so angling for campaign donations

What a carnival barker

[ecstatic]

37. Criminal POS belongs behind bars

[dalton99a]

40. Kick

[ReformedGOPer]

44. Shocked I tell ya, just shocked.

[DesertRat]

46. I knew it! Everything is about $$ with him

Last edited Mon Apr 6, 2020, 12:42 AM - Edit history (1)

He doesn't give a crap about people's lives.

[DesertRat]

48. And now here's Rudy pushing the drug

Follow the money

Link to tweet

[BadgerMom]

49. Who didn't see something like this coming?

[rockfordfile]

51. Trump and probably some friends have investments into companies that make the pills.

Trump is not pushing that drug because he cares about people. I think most people here and elsewhere get it.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

56. So we will have a bunch of a malaria drug that we'll hardly use?

I suppose we could donate it to African and South American countries.

[MFGsunny]

57. DTRUMP venal whore on parade in the time of coronavirus. Full stop. n/t

[Wounded Bear]

58. K & R...for visibility...nt