How Covid Radicalized Us All

Why Should I Trust You?

It's been 5 years since the pandemic and America's trust in public health, medicine, and science has plummeted. It's no secret that the COVID-19 response left a significant portion of Americans seething mad. Now, as the Trump administration, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leading the charge, prepares to take control of public health, and with the emergence of a new virus posing a growing threat, Brinda, Maggie, and Tom dig beneath the poll numbers and declining vaccination rates to explore what happens when so many Americans begin to question mainstream science. We speak with a suburban mom and lifelong Democrat about her personal health journey, her experience during the pandemic, and ultimately how her views on science and health led her to vote this time for Donald Trump.
Hosts:
Brinda Adhikari, former executive producer of The Problem with Jon Stewart on AppleTV+; former ABC News and CBS News
Tom Johnson, former executive producer of The Circus, on Showtime/Paramount+, former Bloomberg, ABC News
Dr. Maggie Bartlett: virologist, assistant research professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Guests:
Melinda Hicks, former TV producer, Atlanta, GA
Dr. Mark Abdelmalek, skin cancer surgeon, dermatologist, physician
Sources we used for data:
TRUST IN PHYSICIANS DURING COVID
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11292455/
DECLINE OF CHILDHOOD VACCINATION RATES
https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/childhood-vaccination-rates-continue-to-decline-as-trump-heads-for-a-second-term/
PUBLIC TRUST IN SCIENTISTS
https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2024/11/14/public-trust-in-scientists-and-views-on-their-role-in-policymaking/ps_2024-11-14_trust-in-science_00-01/

VIEWS ON CHILDHOOD VACCINATIONS
https://news.gallup.com/poll/648308/far-fewer-regard-childhood-vaccinations-important.aspx#:~:text=--%20Fewer%20Americans%20today%20consider,2019%20and%2064%25%20in%202001
CDC DATA ON MEASLES UPTICK
https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html

WHERE WE FIRST READ ABOUT MELINDA:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/02/us/trump-public-health-dr-oz-rfk-jr.html
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Chapters

1. How Covid Radicalized Us All (00:00:00)

2. Who are we and why are we doing this? (00:00:40)

3. Is mistrust in science really a thing? (00:04:33)

4. Meet Melinda Hicks, lifelong Dem, voted for Trump/RFKJ (00:14:51)

5. Melinda's journey with health (00:19:12)

6. Lab leak, Covid response and Melinda (00:36:49)

7. Vaccines (00:39:08)

8. Debrief with Dr. Abdelmalek, Maggie, Tom and Brinda (00:59:25)