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14 stories on FDA. For each one: what the left says, what the right says, and what both agree on. RSS feed
- FDA Nominee Calls Vaccine 'Safe' After Trump Called It 'Lethal'
Sep 25, 2026
Left: Overton's confirmation testimony directly contradicts Trump's own public suggestion that the MMR vaccine could be 'quite lethal,' raising concerns about whether her stated positions reflect genuine conviction or political survival.
Right: Overton's clear, repeated statements that the MMR vaccine and all currently marketed vaccines are 'safe and effective' show she is grounding her leadership in established science rather than political messaging.
- FDA Approves mRNA Flu Vaccine Despite RFK Jr.'s Opposition
Aug 7, 2026
Left: mRNA technology offers faster production timelines than egg-based methods, which could prove critical if a pandemic flu strain emerges and rapid vaccine scaling becomes necessary.
Right: The FDA's about-face after initially refusing to even review the application raises legitimate questions about the consistency and rigor of the agency's standards for comparator trials, especially for older adults.
- Trump's FDA Pick Backs Vaccine Overhaul, Alarming Industry and Doctors
Aug 24, 2026
Left: Overton lacks significant management experience running a large federal agency, raising concerns about her readiness to lead the FDA during a period of internal turmoil and staff departures.
Right: Overton is a board-certified physician with a PhD from Johns Hopkins and prior experience as a White House Fellow, giving her substantive medical and policy credentials for the role.
- Trump Plans to Fire FDA Chief Makary Despite MAHA Support
May 9, 2026
Left: Makary's tenure has been marked by chaos and poor management, with widespread complaints from pharmaceutical companies and internal FDA turmoil that undermines the agency's critical public health mission
Right: Makary has championed removing politics from science and stood up to Big Pharma and Big Food as part of the Make America Healthy Again movement, earning criticism from entrenched interests
- Trump Fast-Tracks Psychedelic Drug Research After Joe Rogan Text
Apr 19, 2026
Left: The executive order raises safety concerns as ibogaine and other psychedelics remain classified as high-risk drugs with serious potential side effects
Right: The order addresses a critical mental health crisis, with over 80,000 overdose deaths in 2024 and veteran suicide rates twice that of civilians
- FDA Walks Back Lettuce Test, Then Says Recall Still Stands
Jul 24, 2026
Left: Public health agencies operating transparently by walking back a specific lab result should be seen as a sign of scientific rigor, not incompetence, since outbreak investigations rely on multiple converging data streams beyond a single test.
Right: The FDA's flip-flop — first confirming a positive test, then calling it a false positive, then still upholding the recall — undermines public trust in federal health agencies at a moment when clear guidance is critical.
- Trump Fast-Tracks Psychedelic Drug Research After Joe Rogan Text
Apr 19, 2026
Left: The executive order bypasses normal scientific review processes that ensure drug safety and efficacy before widespread use
Right: Veterans face a mental health crisis with suicide rates twice that of civilians, requiring urgent action beyond traditional treatments
- RFK Jr. Bypasses FDA Scientists to Expand Access to Unproven Peptides
Oct 29, 2026
Left: The FDA's own drug-review scientists recommended against easing restrictions on these peptides, yet HHS leadership overrode that scientific judgment and drove the policy almost entirely from the secretary's office rather than through normal agency channels.
Right: An independent FDA advisory panel did vote in July to recommend these six peptides for compounding, giving the policy a basis in expert deliberation rather than being purely unilateral.
- New Pancreatic Cancer Drug Doubles Survival — But Costs Hundreds of Thousands
Aug 26, 2026
Left: The drug's approval marks a rare scientific breakthrough against a mutation that has resisted treatment for decades, offering genuine hope to patients facing one of the deadliest cancer diagnoses.
Right: The FDA's approval represents a triumph of pharmaceutical innovation, with a biotech company successfully developing the first drug to target a genetic driver of pancreatic cancer after years of failed attempts industry-wide.
- Did Taylor Farms Use Trump Ties to Delay Lettuce Recall?
Jul 28, 2026
Left: Taylor Farms' $1 million donation to MAGA Inc. raises questions about whether political money bought influence over a public health investigation, and Democrats want the correspondence made public to find out.
Right: No health officials have publicly confirmed a definitive link between Taylor Farms and the outbreak's spread to restaurants like Chipotle or Taco Bell, and the investigation remains ongoing.
- Makary Resigns as FDA Chief Amid E-Cigarette and Abortion Drug Disputes
May 15, 2026
Left: Makary was forced to approve flavored e-cigarettes against his professional judgment after Trump pressured him to reverse his initial refusal
Right: Makary's departure creates an opportunity to address the dangerous proliferation of mail-order abortion drugs that bypass state laws and endanger women's health
- Trump Set to Fire FDA Chief Makary Over Vaping and Abortion Drug Disputes
May 9, 2026
Left: Makary's potential firing represents concerning political interference in scientific decision-making at an agency that should operate based on public health evidence rather than political pressure
Right: Makary has proven ineffective at managing the FDA and implementing the administration's policy agenda, creating unnecessary delays and bureaucratic obstacles
- Hawley Introduces Bill to Strip FDA Approval from Abortion Pill
Mar 12, 2026
Left: The bill represents an unprecedented congressional overreach into medical decisions that should remain between women and their doctors
Right: New research shows mifepristone causes serious adverse events in approximately 11% of users, a rate 22 times higher than previously reported
- RFK Jr. bypasses FDA scientists to allow unproven peptides
Oct 29, 2026
Left: FDA's own scientists reviewed the six peptides and concluded there isn't enough evidence to establish they are safe and effective, yet their expert recommendations were overridden anyway.
Right: A large unregulated gray market already exists where peptides are sold labeled 'for research use only' as a loophole, and this policy aims to move consumers toward products with verified purity and identity instead.