Right-Wing Hydroxychloroquine Echo Chamber On Full Display in Audio From Trump Call

A recording of a conversation between President Donald Trump and evangelical pastor Apostle Maldonado shows how the right-wing echo…

A recording of a conversation between President Donald Trump and evangelical pastor Apostle Maldonado shows how the right-wing echo chamber is amplifying the president’s promotion of the drug hydroxychloroquine as a cure for the coronavirus.

Listen:

The remarks came during a call between the president and Hispanic leaders on May 20. The call, which was ostensibly about the coronavirus, was public but closed to the press. One of the attendees made a partial recording and passed it to me.

As CNN reported:

The call was wide-ranging, touching on issues related to Latin America, a “bailout” package for states, the Paycheck Protection Program and the use of hydroxychloroquine. Trump also brought up the possibility of an executive order for Hispanic business owners and what it would take to rebound the economy.

But according to participants, the President made no concrete commitments. And while thousands were on the line, two participants said the questions asked and comments made were largely from supporters.

In their conversation, Maldanado repeatedly praises Trump for the president’s promotion of hydroxychloroquine, which the preacher claims Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández told him was responsible for curing “thousands” of coronavirus in Honduras.

“He said that the hospitalizations have been decreased, the death went from eight to four, and this is incredible,” said Maldanado.

“I was very happy to hear Mr. President, that you’re encouraging people to use this hydroxychloroquine, and it took the courage and boldness to do it,” added Maldanado.

The president basked in the praise but found time to take aim at one of his favorite enemies, the press and what he described as unfair treatment on his support of the drug.

“That’s really nice to hear because, we have a lot of fake news, we have fake news, which is most of them, and if I came out against it, they’d like it,” said Trump. “If I come out in favor of it, and it’s been around a long time, and a lot of people say it works, it works very strongly, that first stage where you can fight it off, and frontline doctors and nurses and people are taking it, and we’re hearing very good things.”

“But that’s great,” continued the president, “and I’ve heard that story about Honduras, they have a low rate, and I’ve heard it, and he’s a good gentleman, so we, he’s a friend of mine, we’re getting along with Honduras, and we’re working with them very closely, and working with many of the countries represented on this phone right now. Better than any other president has ever done.”

Trump on April 24 talked by phone to Hernández, who assured him the drug was seeing favorable results. The president referenced the call to reporters the next day, saying, “If it works I think everyone would be in favor of it… check with him, call him.”

Despite Hernández’s support for the drug and claims of its effectiveness, Honduras’ battle with the coronavirus is ongoing.

According to Contra Corriente’s Jennifer Avila:

Honduras is severely lacking in its ability to identify rates of contagion and recovery. This is due to the country’s limited ability to perform widespread testing. Currently, the exact number of tests being administered in Honduras is unknown. According to official information, there is capacity to perform 80 tests per day, and with the added resources provided by a virology laboratory in the northern part of the country, an additional 40 more tests a day.

That hasn’t stopped Trump from promoting the country’s so-called success rate, as he did to Maldanado.

Maldonado, who preaches at a megachurch in Florida, came under fire in March for telling congregants to come to church despite the disease.

“Do you believe God would bring his people to his house to be contagious with the virus?” said Maldonado. “Of course not.”

The preacher hosted Trump on January 3 at his El Rey Jesús, or King Jesus International Ministry, church.

During last week’s call, both men referred to their friendship and Trump indicated he would return soon.

“I’ll probably be down there for political season, which is just about beginning right now,” said Trump. “November 3rd. Big date.”

“It’s going to be a big date, November 3rd, that’s an important one, get everybody out to vote,” the president added.

What follows is a transcript of the recording, which begins as Trump is ending a conversation with another member of the call.

Trump: Mario, she’s sitting with me right now, and now she likes you even more. Thank you for saying that, okay? Thanks Mario, appreciate it.

Next is Apostle Maldonado and we, we’ve known each other a long time, and maybe you could say a few very wise words, which you always seem to say, at least when you’re around me you always seem to say. Apostle, are you there? Thank you.

Maldonado: Thank you, thank you Mr. President, We’re very informed of the way that you, you have done so much for the Hispanic community. And also, thank you for speaking to so many Latin American presidents.

You know, I’ve been preaching in Latin America for so long, so I’m connected to all those presidents. And this morning, you know, we don’t hear about those calls from the media. But it’s important for the Hispanic Americans to know that your good relationships with countries in the Western Hemisphere.

And you know, Mr. President, I spoke to the president of Honduras this morning, in fact, 30 minutes before this, I connected. And you know, he’s so grateful. And I got good news for you. He said, because President Trump announced the use of the hydroxychloroquine, he said, we took that, and he encouraged the people — in other words, he started saying it from the beginning, and then they start, this is the good news for you, he said, “I did an executive order for the country.” And then he said, “[unintelligible] literally, Apostle, thousands of lives have been saved.”

So he said, “tell the president I am so thankful,” he said that the hospitalizations have been decreased, the death went from eight to four, and this is incredible.

So Mr. President, thank you, because you took that step and boldness. You always do, you always take that bold step, you know, like nobody else does. And thank you very much for doing that.

There are also other presidents in Latin America, they are doing the same thing, and that’s the reason they lowered their death rate. So thank you very much, I’m very happy to hear that.

And the second thing he also said to me is that because many of the investors, they invested in China, they realize they made an error putting all the investment in China. So, he said, all the Spanish, Latin American countries and Central American countries, we are ready and we put the conditions to produce to avoid immigration. Then we said for you to consider to invest in those countries because now they’re coming back, they’re not going to invest in China.

So that will be, I was very happy to hear Mr. President, that you’re encouraging people to use this hydroxychloroquine, and it took the courage and boldness to do it, I was very happy.

Trump: Hey, Guillermo, that’s really nice to hear because, we have a lot of fake news, we have fake news, which is most of them, and if I came out against it, they’d like it. If I come out in favor it, and it’s been around a long time, and a lot of people say it works, it works very strongly, that first stage where you can fight it off, and frontline doctors and nurses and people are taking it, and we’re hearing very good things.

But that’s great, and I’ve heard that story about Honduras, they have a low rate, and I’ve heard it, and he’s a good gentleman, so we, he’s a friend of mine, we’re getting along with Honduras, and we’re working with them very closely, and working with many of the countries represented on this phone right now. Better than any other president has ever done.

So, I appreciate it, and you just take care of yourself, and I will see you soon, I know that.

Maldonado: Thank you, Mr. President, and [unintelligible] there is an open invitation for you to come back to my church [unintelligible] we’re here to serve you, all right?

Trump: I know, and there’s nobody like you, too, I’ll probably be down there for political season, which is just about beginning right now. November 3rd. Big date. It’s going to be a big date, November 3rd, that’s an important one, get everybody out to vote.

Maldanado: You’re welcome to come, Mr. President.

Trump: Thank you, Apostle, and take care of yourself, I’ll see you soon.