Snake Oil Remedies

Abstract

The unprofessional manner in which the federal government monitored coronavirus tests and celebrated medicines contributed to public confusion. Phony cures and tests achieved one benefit—short-term profits for businesses. President Donald Trump repeatedly spread misinformation about masks via rallies and tweets. On July 2, Trump said, “Masks are good,” though he opposed a national mandate (CBS 2020). Later, he hinted that anyone wearing a mask was signaling opposition to him and to his re-election (Lovelace 2020; Sheth and Seddiq 2020). He even mocked mask-wearing as a distinct contrast with his presidential opponent Joe Biden (Steakin and Gittleson).