The Rachel Maddow Show Why Donald Trump's medical records say more than he realizes
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May 13, 2025 
Dr. David Kessler, former FDA commissioner and senior science advisor to President Biden, joins to discuss the intriguing contradictions in Donald Trump's healthcare decisions. Kessler analyzes how Trump benefitted from federal medical advances yet implemented cuts that jeopardize those very systems. The conversation sheds light on the adverse effects of Trump's healthcare policies on vulnerable populations, alongside the critical role of government in medical progress. Kessler emphasizes the irony of enjoying healthcare improvements while attacking the institutions that provide them.
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Trump's Health Gains vs Policy Cuts
- President Trump's medical report shows significant health improvement through intensive lipid-lowering therapy and weight loss.
- These benefits come from federal medical research that his administration is simultaneously cutting and undermining.
Federal Role in Drug Innovation
- The federal government plays a critical role in drug discovery and development that the pharmaceutical industry alone cannot handle.
- NIH-funded research identified key drug targets that enabled development of life-saving therapies like lipid-lowering and GLP-1 drugs.
Trump's COVID Treatment Paradox
- Dr. Kessler revealed how Trump's monoclonal antibody treatment for severe COVID depended on FDA expertise, including officials later fired by Trump.
- This illustrates Trump benefiting personally from federal medical expertise even while dismantling those institutions.