Donald Trump

==== Political pressure on health agencies ====
{{Main|Trump administration political interference with science agencies}}
Trump repeatedly pressured federal health agencies to take actions he favored,<ref name="CNN-testing-pressure" /> such as approving unproven treatments<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/06/15/hydroxychloroquine-authorization-revoked-coronavirus/|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=June 15, 2020|access-date=October 7, 2021|title=FDA pulls emergency approval for antimalarial drugs touted by Trump as covid-19 treatment|first1=Laurie|last1=McGinley|first2=Carolyn Y.|last2=Johnson}}</ref><ref name=pressed>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/12/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-treatment-vaccine.html|title=Trump Pressed for Plasma Therapy. Officials Worry, Is an Unvetted Vaccine Next?|date=September 12, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|first1=Sharon|last1=LaFraniere|author-link1=Sharon LaFraniere|first2=Noah|last2=Weiland|first3=Michael D.|last3=Shear|author-link3=Michael D. Shear|access-date=September 13, 2020}}</ref> or speeding up vaccine approvals.<ref name=pressed /> Trump administration political appointees at HHS sought to control CDC communications to the public that undermined Trump's claims that the pandemic was under control. CDC resisted many of the changes, but increasingly allowed HHS personnel to review articles and suggest changes before publication.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/11/exclusive-trump-officials-interfered-with-cdc-reports-on-covid-19-412809|title=Trump officials interfered with CDC reports on Covid-19|last=Diamond|first=Dan|date=September 11, 2020|work=[[Politico]]|access-date=September 14, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/09/12/trump-control-over-cdc-reports/|title=Trump officials seek greater control over CDC reports on coronavirus|last=Sun|first=Lena H.|date=September 12, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=September 14, 2020}}</ref> Trump alleged without evidence that FDA scientists were part of a "[[deep state]]" opposing him and delaying approval of vaccines and treatments to hurt him politically.<ref>{{cite news|first1=Laurie|last1=McGinley|first2=Carolyn Y.|last2=Johnson|first3=Josh|last3=Dawsey|author-link3=Josh Dawsey|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/08/22/trump-without-evidence-accuses-deep-state-fda-slow-walking-coronavirus-vaccines-treatments/|title=Trump without evidence accuses 'deep state' at FDA of slow-walking coronavirus vaccines and treatments|date=August 22, 2020|access-date=October 7, 2021|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>