Joe Kernen Stunned Trump’s FDA Head Can’t Answer Question About Public Health: ‘You’re in Charge!’

CNBC’s Joe Kernen was stunned by President Donald Trump’s FDA commissioner’s failure to answer a question related to public health on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the Trump’s EPA proposed revoking a 2009 declaration that carbon dioxide — along with a host of other greenhouse gases — endanger public health. That declaration, as noted by a report from The Associated Press, has been the basis for countless environmental regulations. EPA administrator Lee Zeldin argued that the declaration has led to “a lot of segments of our economy” being “regulated out of existence.”

The next morning, Kernen asked FDA commissioner Dr. Marty Makary if the undoing of the declaration could pose a threat to public health. Makary wasn’t sure:

KERNEN: Doctor, this is related. Obviously, it’s public health. But the EPA is going to rescind — or moving to rescind — this endangerment finding on carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases, basically saying that trace CO2 is not a danger to public health. I mean, you had to connect quite a few dots with some questionable science to get to the point where — it doesn’t cause smog, it’s odorless, it’s colorless, it’s trace, we exhale 10 times the amount. They’re going to do this. Is that a danger to public health if the EPA and Lee Zeldin are able to do this, in your view?

MAKARY: You know, to be honest, I don’t know enough about that issue.

KERNEN: You’re in charge of our public health! Can you look into it for us?

MAKARY: It’s really an EPA issue; but look, there’s a lot of things where we may just need better research. We have never talked about environmental exposures that may, say, cause cancer. We only talk about the chemo to treat it. I’m not saying it’s CO2.

Watch above via CNBC.