Bill Gates says he isn't sure he can trust the FDA on a coronavirus vaccine

For months, liberals who have fought against all attempts to reopen the economy have insisted that it would be irresponsible to allow any public activity (other than riots) until a vaccine is developed and distributed.

Now that it seems possible (albeit unlikely) that such a vaccine may be ready for distribution, many of those same people have shifted gears to say that any vaccine released under the oversight of the Trump administration is not to be trusted anyway — and now Bill Gates has joined the chorus of liberals actively attempting to undermine public confidence in any potential vaccine and thus discourage participation in a vaccination program.

In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Gates said that he doesn't trust either the Food and Drug Administration, which is responsible for public oversight of vaccines, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when it comes to providing responsible oversight over the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.

"We saw with the completely bungled plasma statements that when you start pressuring people to say optimistic things, they go completely off the rails. The FDA lost a lot of credibility there," Gates said. Gates' comments were an apparent reference to controversy over the effectiveness of blood plasma in treatment of the coronavirus.

Gates went on, "Historically, just like the CDC was viewed as the best in the world, the FDA had that same reputation as a top-notch regulator. But there's been some cracks with some of the things they've said at the commissioner level."

Gates did say in the interview that he eventually expects a safe and effective vaccine to emerge from the process, but he did not elaborate on what might cause him to trust the FDA's or CDC's oversight of the process.

Presumably, however, a change in the White House would cause Gates to change his tune, as Gates has been a strong proponent of vaccination for other diseases worldwide.

Gates is far from alone among liberals in this refrain. Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris stirred controversy earlier this month when she stated that she would not take any vaccine that was released before the election. "The View" cohost Joy Behar likewise engaged in some conspiracy theorizing last week when she stated that she would not take the vaccine until Ivanka Trump took it first.