Trump Promises Commission to Address Childhood Illness

Former President Donald Trump, in an "Agenda47" video for his presidential campaign, promised to address the sharp rise in the nation's chronic illnesses and health problems, particularly among children, as part of his plans for a return to the Oval Office.

Trump plans to establish a special presidential commission "of independent minds who are not bought and paid for by Big Pharma, and I will charge them with investigating what is causing the decades-long increase in chronic illnesses."

"I understand Big Pharma, I believe better than anyone else," he added. "I know where they're coming from."

The commission will then be asked "to publish recommendations for how every American child can have a safe and healthy childhood."

"Every year, we spend hundreds of billions of dollars to treat these chronic problems rather than looking at what is causing them in the first place," Trump said. "Too often, our public health establishment is too close to Big Pharma — they make a lot of money, Big Pharma — big corporations, and other special interests, and does not want to ask the tough questions about what is happening to our children's health."

But if the nation's pharmaceutical industry is defrauding Americans and taxpayers or putting profits over people "they must be investigated and held accountable," he said.

Trump added there has been an "unexplained and alarming growth in chronic illnesses and health problems, especially in children."

"We've seen a stunning rise in autism, auto-immune disorders, obesity, infertility, serious allergies, and respiratory challenges," and that means it is time to find out why, Trump said.

"Is it the food that they eat? The environment that we live in?" he said. "The over-prescription of certain medications? Is it the toxins and chemicals that are present in our homes?"

The conversation about childhood illness is "long overdue," Trump said.

"It's a conversation that American families deserve," he said. "American families must have this conversation, and they must have a leader — a president — who can do something about this problem. And I will do that."

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