On Monday, the FDA pulled the Emergency Use Authorization for two monoclonal antibodies used as therapeutics for patients with COVID. Florida, in particular, has championed the use of these drugs and has established a system of clinics where patients can receive treatment. See FDA Pulls Emergency Use Authorization for Drugs Used in Florida’s COVID Clinics Because No One Can Tell Them No.

The ostensible reason is that the Omicron variant of the Wuhan virus is now more prevalent, and the drugs used under the FDA EUAs are “less effective” than against the Delta variant. The whole rationalization stinks. There is literally no peer-reviewed clinical trial data that makes that case; there is no data showing the drugs will not be effective in some percentage of Omicron cases. According to the Florida Department of Health, the substitute drug has the same performance as a placebo.

Earlier today, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference on the issue.

.@GovRonDeSantis UNLOADS on Biden after he recklessly revokes Americans of lifesaving monoclonal antibodies with this 🔥🔥🔥 response:

Just Perfect. WATCH the whole thing. pic.twitter.com/0DHjXNEFJt

— Benny (@bennyjohnson) January 25, 2022

Again, the drugs have literally not been shown to be ineffective. Instead, they have been asserted to be ineffective without any clinical trial data. Florida is aware that the drugs are less effective against Omicron, but they work in many cases. Just because they don’t work as well is not a reason to place them off-limits to physicians who wish to prescribe them.

Naturally, Jen Psaki was asked about the issue, and she handled it about as well as she handles any other question that she gets, which is basically acting like a hog staring at a wristwatch (no offense intended to the hog).

REPORTER: "Florida continues to push for [monoclonal antibody] treatment … What's your response to Gov. DeSantis?"

PSAKI: "Let's just take a step back here just to realize how crazy this is … We know what works, vaccines and boosters." pic.twitter.com/jABj7SBRUX

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 25, 2022

The problem, of course, is that vaccines and boosters don’t necessarily work. In fact, most of the patients in Florida’s clinic system have been vaccinated and boosted. What is literally crazy is the FDA pulling the rug out from under a successful program just to spite a Republican governor who has shown he can do something the federal government has been proven unable to do: organize an effective response to COVID. What is also crazy is a handful of pencil necks in the FDA taking action that prevents Florida doctors from treating their patients according to their best clinical experience when they have no responsibility for the health of the patients deprived of care.

At some point, these people need to be held to account. They are actively evil. They have no compunction about killing you if it serves their purpose of aggrandizing power or imposing their will upon you. As a society, we cannot afford to have people who would make this kind of decision anywhere other than serving time in a SuperMax.