Trump Administration Pressured the FDA to Authorize Unproven COVID Treatments: Report

Brandon Bell/Getty Donald Trump

The Trump administration pressured the Food and Drug Administration to authorize the anti-malarial drug  hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment, according to a new report by Democrats on the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis.

The report, which was released Wednesday, details efforts from Trump officials to reauthorize  hydroxychloroquine after the FDA revoked emergency use authorization due to evidence showing the drug was ineffective in treating COVID and had potentially severe side effects.

Findings also reported that Trump officials blocked the FDA from issuing guidance COVID vaccine authorizations in an attempt to ensure that the first vaccine could be authorized before the 2020 presidential election.

"The Select Subcommittee's findings that Trump White House officials deliberately and repeatedly sought to bend FDA's scientific work on coronavirus treatments and vaccines to the White House's political will are yet another example of how the prior Administration prioritized politics over public health," Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), the panel's chair, said in a statement.

"These assaults on our nation's public health institutions undermined the nation's coronavirus response," he added.

RELATED: Hydroxychloroquine Was Ineffective Against Coronavirus and Linked to Higher Death Rate, Study Finds

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In March 2020, Trump touted hydroxychloroquine as an effective treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic despite concerns from health experts, including Food and Drug Administrator Stephen Hahn, who emphasized that it needed to undergo trials to see if it would work against the virus.

Months later, despite warnings, Trump shocked reporters when he announced in May 2020 that he'c been taking a dose of hydroxychloroquine every day for a week and a half.

The World Health Organization also suspended clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine after several studies found a higher death rate among the patients given the drug. Research also indicated the misuse of the drug can lead to heart failure.