President Trump’s communications during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic violate principles of public health, such as practicing transparency and deferring to medical experts. Moreover, the president’s communications are dangerous and misleading, and his lack of leadership during the crisis limits the nation’s response to the problem, increases political polarization around public health issues of social distancing, and spreads incorrect information about health-related policies and medical procedures. To correct the dangerous path that the nation is on, the administration needs to adopt a more expert-centered approach to the crisis, and President Trump needs to practice compassion, empathy, and transparency in his communications.

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Background This study examines President Trump’s misleading language in the area of health care. According to ‘The Washington Post’, President Trump has made over 10 000 misleading or false statements about public policy. Methods We use content analysis to examine the 662 health-related statements made over the period from his inauguration on 20 January 2017 to 27 April 2019. Results Analysis of these statements identified seven themes, and we also found that a plurality of the statements spreads false information about the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare. Discussion President Trump’s misleading statements about health care are unprecedented and potentially damaging to public health. The communications may adversely affect the public’s knowledge about their health care, their understanding of the health care system and their understanding of health care procedures.

Objective: To determine if the demographic characteristics and health care needs of younger people with MS differ from older people with MS. Participants: The study analyzed enrollment data from the NARCOMS Registry to compare 1,987 younger adults with MS (30 years and younger) to 29,245 other adults with MS (over 30 years). Methods: Analyses of the NARCOMS data focused on descriptive characteristics of these adults with MS, using a t-test to identify any statistically significant age-related differences in means and a chi-squared test to identify any statistically significant age-related differences in proportions. Results: A significantly larger proportion of younger adults with MS were female and African American compared to other adults with MS. We found significant age-related differences in the expression of physical disability domains but few significant age-related differences in symptoms of depression. We also observed significant age-related differences in the utilization of health providers, with larger proportions of other adults with MS treated by internists, urologists, rehabilitation specialists, and physical and occupational therapists. Conclusions: The comprehensive care of younger adults with MS should include monitoring for mental health conditions and the availability of mental health services.