Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro defends qualifications for handing out medical advice: 'I'm a social scientist'


You can call him Dr. Peter Navarro, at least technically.
Navarro, President Trump's top trade adviser, doesn't have a medical degree. But he does have a Ph.D in economics, he explained in a Monday morning CNN appearance, and claimed that leaves him qualified to disagree with the U.S.'s top coronavirus doctor Anthony Fauci when it comes to a potentially dangerous COVID-19 treatment.
While Trump has repeatedly claimed that the malaria-fighting drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are a "game changer" in the coronavirus fight, Fauci recently pointed out there are not enough studies and information to declare them safe treatments. Navarro defended Trump's side of things on Monday, saying "doctors disagree on things all the time," and because he's a "social scientist" who "understand[s] how to read statistical studies," he's qualified to disagree with Fauci. CNN host John Berman butted in to say "that doesn't qualify you to treat patients" and noted the potential "deadly" effects of untested hydroxychloroquine use, but Navarro only pushed on.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A study to determine the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine just kicked off in New York last week. But so far, it's clear hydroxychloroquine can have detrimental effects on the health of some patients, including sometimes leading to cardiac arrest and psychiatric symptoms.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Why Rikers Island will no longer be under New York City's control
The Explainer A 'remediation manager' has been appointed to run the infamous jail
-
California may pull health care from eligible undocumented migrants
IN THE SPOTLIGHT After pushing for universal health care for all Californians regardless of immigration status, Gov. Gavin Newsom's latest budget proposal backs away from a key campaign promise
-
Is Apple breaking up with Google?
Today's Big Question Google is the default search engine in the Safari browser. The emergence of artificial intelligence could change that.
-
Trump vows to lift Syria sanctions
speed read The move would help the new government stabilize the country following years of civil war
-
Senate rejects Trump's Library of Congress takeover
speed read Congress resisted the president's attempts to control 'the legislative branch's premier research body'
-
Hamas frees US hostage in deal sidelining Israel
speed read Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old soldier, was the final living US citizen held by the militant group
-
White Afrikaners land in US as Trump-declared refugees
speed read An exception was made to Trump's near-total ban on admitting refugees for the white South Africans
-
Qatar luxury jet gift clouds Trump trip to Mideast
speed read Qatar is said to be presenting Trump with a $400 million plane, which would be among the biggest foreign gifts ever received by the US government
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin
-
Trump, UK's Starmer outline first post-tariff deal
speed read President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer struck a 'historic' agreement to eliminate some of the former's imposed tariffs
-
Fed leaves rates unchanged as Powell warns on tariffs
speed read The Federal Reserve says the risks of higher inflation and unemployment are increasing under Trump's tariffs