Trump appoints hantavirus official who specializes in penile implants and has little public health experience

When the Trump administration said its hantavirus response would be "grounded in science", they neglected to mention which science, because the man leading the latest press conference spent most of his career specialising in penile implants.

Dr Brian Christine, the Trump administration's assistant secretary for health and one of the top officials now overseeing America's infectious disease response, was until recently an Alabama based urologist who specialised in penile implants.

Before joining the federal government last November, he hosted a professional YouTube series on erectile dysfunction for fellow urologists called 'Erection Connection'. Christine has little public health experience.

What conspiracy theories has Dr Brian Christine promoted?

According to CNN, which reviewed archived podcast episodes, social media posts and radio appearances, he repeatedly framed public health institutions, the federal government and pandemic-era policies as tools used to specifically target conservatives and religious Americans.

He has previously claimed the covid pandemic was used as part of a wider government plot to control people, compared the Biden administration to Nazi Germany, and argued that Covid vaccines had little effect on stopping the pandemic, despite evidence they prevented millions of deaths.

He also reportedly suggested there had been a worldwide effort involving George Soros and figures linked to the World Economic Forum's "Great Reset" to use the pandemic to force small businesses to close.

During a podcast recorded while he was running for Alabama sate senate in 2022, Christine questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 election. He has also advocated for abortion bans with no exceptions for rape or incest.

None of this prevented Christie from going directly from private practice to one of the most senior public health roles in the US government, taking office last November as assistant secretary for health.

What is the US doing to stop hantavirus?

He was thrust into the spotlight this week when he stood before reporters in Nebraska to address a hantavirus outbreak linked to a quarantined cruise ship, assuring the public the response would be handled with full transparency.

The US Department of Health and Human Services have been approached for comment.

Speaking to CNN, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Media Relations Andrew Nixon said: “Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Christine remains focused on executing President Trump and Secretary Kennedy’s agenda to Make America Healthy Again and deliver on President Trump’s Executive Order to protect our children against chemical and surgical mutilation."