BEWARE of COVID-19 ‘snake oil salesmen’
Talk about a smackdown! CNN's Anderson Cooper was no holds barred against My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell who claimed to have a cure for COVID-19.
Talk about a smackdown! CNN's Anderson Cooper was no holds barred against My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell who claimed to have a cure for COVID-19.
First it was suggested we inject ourselves with Lysol, then it was asked if we could use a UV light inside our bodies, and don’t even get us started on the debate over wearing masks, but now, two multimillionaires are trying to convince the American people that they’ve found a cure for COVID-19, without any supporting evidence. The last thing we need is another snake oil salesman.
Brace yourself because this may be one for the record books.
MyPillow creator Mike Lindell is a hit on late-night infomercials, and while his pillows look like they can definitely help you “cure” the crook in your neck, medical professionals are not so sure he has the “cure” for the pandemic — Oleandrin.
In fact, medical experts warn against it.
Oleandrin is an extract from the highly toxic oleander plant. While Oleandrin has been developed to treat cancer, it is still considered an “investigational new drug” that is not an approved cancer treatment in the U.S. Not only is there no evidence that Oleandrin works to treat COVID-19 in humans, but it is toxic to humans and animals, and eating one oleander leaf can kill an adult.
CNN’S Anderson Cooper grilled Lindell over his claims.
“You don’t have a medical background, you’re not a scientist, yet you’re claiming this substance, which has not been studied in any meaningful way can cure COVID. And you have a financial stake in the company. You would profit from it being sold widely. Morally, is that right?” Cooper asked.
Lindell stumbled and bumbled through the interview and, despite him having not one piece of proof to back up his claims, he stuck to his theory that Oleandrin would work. Lindell could not give any details about the alleged study of a thousand people who were allegedly cured in the experiment.
He then dragged Dr. Carson’s name into the mix, saying Carson was the one who helped bring it to the attention of President Trump, who also allegedly approved of the “miracle cure.”
Cooper dismissed Carson’s validity, pointing out that the doctor previously got in trouble in 2015 after he was paid to promote supplements.
Cooper called out Lindell as well, noting that Lindell had to pay “massive settlements” over misleading health claims made in his infomercials. MyPillow agreed to pay almost $1 million in civil penalties in California in 2016. Cooper also said Lindell was no better than a snake oil salesman and asked how he could sleep at night.
Lindell unimpressively defended himself, saying the Better Business Bureau tried to smear him because he was a supporter of President Donald Trump. In fact, he called Trump “the greatest president this country has ever seen.”
Our recommendation? Continue to stay safe and wait for a TESTED cure.