President* Trump,

So what gives? Why are you and Jr. pushing hydroxychloroquine hard enough that Facebook and the rest shut down the disinformation threads? Is it that much of a moneymaker for someone you are beholden to or are you really trying to kill off your base? Or is it both? I suppose it could just be that you all ornery and rebellious, like the kid who stamps his foot and yells “you aren’t the boss of me!” right before drinking the bleach his mother warned him was dangerous. Maybe since you didn’t have a fatal heart arrhythmia during your two-week course of hydroxychloroquine back in May and haven’t contracted covid-19, you put 1 + 1 together and got 47, concluding that the medication isn’t dangerous AND it prevents covid-19. Is that it?

As horrifyingly stupid as the 1 + 1 = 47 construal is, it’s actually by far the most generous of the bunch. It’s awful to have horrifyingly stupid influential people in power hawking dangerous lies, for sure – especially since when they truly believe what they’re hawking, they can be very persuasive. So, absolutely, this option is scary as all get out.

So what about the greed angle? Who’s making money off of this? It was pretty well established back in April that your holdings in the manufacturing company are miniscule and that it’s unlikely that you, personally, are benefitting much from the sales. Who knows, though, maybe you’ve figured out a lucrative angle so you can add to your Moscow-bound stockpile (thank you, Laura, for this idea). Plus, there are lots of other ways you could be making out like a bandit on this. You billionaire bandits slosh money back and forth to each other all the time in the form of campaign donations, inaugural fetes, hotel and resort bookings, and construction contracts, so maybe there are promises of goodies in the offing if you can goose hydroxychloroquine sales up to a certain level. Maybe.

I’m not convinced that greed is the thing here, though.

This deal with hydroxychloroquine seems to me to pair nicely with what appears to be a sadistic use of mismanagement to give you cover as the coronavirus picks off tens of thousands vulnerable Americans. Yes, I get that it’s largely your base who listens to you for medical advice (goodness help them), but the nonsense you re-Tweeted/reposted about this medicine was promulgated by a Black woman who appeared to be backed up by four white people (all were in medical looking white lab coats), so maybe you’re trying to dupe Black people. This makes more sense than you intentionally endangering your would-be voters. Curiously, though, members of your base are the ones who’re following your no-mask lead, partying hard in large herds, and generally giving the middle finger to the collective well-being of the country while BIPOC people are largely aware of their risk status and are generally taking appropriate precautions. Given all this it’s hard to say what’s driving your rhetoric vis a vie hydroxychloroquine.

Conveniently, Laura just shared another possibility she gleaned from Twitter. Someone out there postulates that you’re floating the magical hydroxychloroquine elixir to get the economy back in gear. If people believe this medication will prevent and cure covid-19, then why not go ahead and re-engage with work and all of ones’ usual past times (most importantly here, shopping)?

I think this last one is probably the winning ticket, but it sure seems like there’s going to be hell to pay when your peeps figure out they’ve been duped. Thus, I would bet money you all are working on ways to deflect the coming tidal wave of rage onto your “enemies.” If the Twitter person is correct and I’m also correct, this misinformation campaign of yours will rank among the most evil twofers in the history of the universe.

May we be safe from our POTUS*.
May we be willing to connect the dots dispassionately.
May we have the strength and the courage to call out what seems to be happening.
May we accept that evil forces are at play here.

Sincerely,
Tracy Simpson

*Connotes your illegitimacy