Trump taps COVID lockdown critic to lead medical research

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday said that Jay Bhattacharya would help the National Institutes of Health reach higher standards in its medical research. Bhattacharya currently serves as a professor of health policy at Stanford University. He has spoken against the broad COVID-19 lockdowns enforced in numerous countries and was one of three doctors behind an October 2020 proposal for more focused protection plans. In a social media statement, Bhattacharya said he was honored by the nomination and promised to help restore public trust in America’s medical institutions. His nomination is subject to the approval of the Senate.

Did Trump nominate anyone else on Tuesday? Trump named Jim O’Neill as his pick to serve as deputy health secretary. If the Senate approves them both, O’Neill will serve as the right-hand man to former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is Trump’s pick for health secretary. O’Neill has previously served as the principal associate director of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Dig deeper: Listen to Cal Thomas’ commentary on The World and Everything in It podcast about the Department of Government Efficiency.