Trump Attacks Whistleblower Dr. Rick Bright as a ‘Disgruntled Employee’ Before Testimony

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President Donald Trump is going after Dr. Rick Bright — the former head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) who filed a whistleblower complaint after being pushed out of his job

In a Thursday morning tweet, just ahead of Bright’s scheduled testimony before a House subcommittee, the president blasted Bright — despite claiming not to know him.

“I don’t know the so-called Whistleblower Rick Bright, never met him or even heard of him, but to me he is a disgruntled employee, not liked or respected by people I spoke to and who, with his attitude, should no longer be working for our government!” Trump wrote.

I don’t know the so-called Whistleblower Rick Bright, never met him or even heard of him, but to me he is a disgruntled employee, not liked or respected by people I spoke to and who, with his attitude, should no longer be working for our government!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 14, 2020

Bright claims his dismissal was “blatantly retaliatory” because of his “objections and resistance to funding potentially dangerous drugs promoted by those with political connections and by the Administration itself.” In prepared testimony Thursday, Bright will tell a House subcommittee that “it is painfully clear that we were not as prepared as we should have been” for the coronavirus pandemic.