Donald Trump retweets video of doctors claiming unverified information on COVID-19

Before social media platforms removed the viral video that showed doctors spreading unverified information about the novel coronavirus, US President Donald Trump had retweeted it. The controversial video showed a group pretending to be top medical professionals in the US on the steps of the Supreme Court and claimed that neither face coverings nor the nationwide lockdowns are essential to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. It was even live-streamed by conservative media outlets in the country and was reportedly viewed over 14 million times before it was removed.

The same video resulted in Donald Trump Jr’s account getting restricted as he had retweeted it. Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have now removed the video because it ‘violated’ the policy of COVID-19 misinformation. The viral clip has led to resurfacing of previous remarks made by one of the doctors it featured, Stella Immanuel, who in the video touted hydroxychloroquine as ‘cure for COVID’. She has also said that it is the ‘demons’ that cause illnesses. 

Trump shared the video despite both the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stating that there is ‘no known cure for coronavirus’ or COVID-19. Stella Immanuel had even replied to the US President’s post and said she would like to meet him. Meanwhile, she has continued to promote the drug and said Fauci is ‘misleading’ and said: “I will not be silenced”. After her videos were removed from the platforms, she urged them to 'put them back' or their systems would crash.

Read - Trump Again Defends Use Of Hydroxychloroquine For COVID-19 Treatment

The use of hydroxychloroquine has taken a very disputed position in the world while battling with the coronavirus contagion. On one hand, the Food and Drug Administration has revoked the emergency use of the anti-viral drug and warned against its use. On the other hand, several people are still promoting their use including US President who said: "I would take it". Recently Donald Trump even tweeted about the drug and claimed that US top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci misled the people over hydroxychloroquine’s use to treat COVID-19. Conservatives are still claiming that big pharmaceutical companies want ‘people to die’. 

Read - Trump Says 'nobody Likes Me' As Anthony Fauci's Approval Rating Rises

Donald Trump angered at Twitter’s ‘trend’

Meanwhile, Donald Trump had showcased his anger over the microblogging site, Twitter’s ‘trending’ section. He went on to say that there are multiple trends about the US President but, “never a good one”. The tiff between the social media platform and Donald Trump has only deepened over the course of COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests across the US. From removal of tweets to disabling Trump’s campaign videos, Twitter’s multiple actions have time and again disappointed the US President who called it an ‘unfair fight’. 

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Read - Trump Says US May Supply COVID-19 Vaccine To Other Countries Once Ready