Jagmeet Singh
Appearances
The Matt Walsh Show
Ep. 1510 - Is It Finally Time For Our Glorious Conquest Of Canada To Begin?
Donald Trump is acting more like an internet troll than a president of the United States. I don't think that's the way you act as a president. And it's certainly not the way you interact with other countries. But as I mentioned, I've dealt with bullies throughout my life. And I know what it's like.
The Matt Walsh Show
Ep. 1510 - Is It Finally Time For Our Glorious Conquest Of Canada To Begin?
Even if you're the smaller guy, even if you're outnumbered, you got to make it not worth the bullies while bullies only understand strength. They only understand strength and pain. So you have to make sure you're standing up and showing that if you want to take that decision to fight with us, to pick a fight with us, it's going to hurt you too.
The Matt Walsh Show
Ep. 1510 - Is It Finally Time For Our Glorious Conquest Of Canada To Begin?
Are you asking me to lie to parents? And he said, yes.
The Matt Walsh Show
Ep. 1510 - Is It Finally Time For Our Glorious Conquest Of Canada To Begin?
And so I want to issue a challenge actually on your show today. For anyone that's running for prime minister, I've committed that Canada would respond with retaliatory tariffs. If Trump imposes tariffs on Canada, we should respond with tariffs.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Mexico Prez Destroys Trump Over New Threats
Friends, if you are worried and you are saying, what can I do to fight back against Trump's tariffs? You're worried about it. You're fed up about it. Here's what you can do. I'm here with Craig Zobie. We're in Montreal. You can buy Canadian and boycott American. Come with me. Let me show you how you do that. So you pick up a product right here. Boom. Let's pick up this chocolate. Chocolate Boreal.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Mexico Prez Destroys Trump Over New Threats
Boy, I dropped another one. I have to buy that too. Chocolate Boreal. Made in Canada. Made in Quebec. That's good. Buy that. What else we got here? We got maple syrup. Made in Canada. Got the Canadian flag. Check the label. Buy that. Buy Canadian, boycott American, and you can also sign the pledge that you are committing to do that.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Mexico Prez Destroys Trump Over New Threats
You're committing to support Canadian and you're committing to boycott American. That's how you fight back. Let's show Trump that he messed with the wrong country.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Mexico Prez Destroys Trump Over New Threats
What Trump, though, is really about, and it is very clear, he is about making Canada the 51st state. That is what he is about. He has made that very clear. We don't need to guess about what his intentions are. He's repeated it. He wants to use economic pressure on Canada to put us in a weak position. He has been very clear. That is what he wants to do. So we need to fight back.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
brought forward, and as well as our version of the CIA CSIS, brought forward clear allegations of foreign interference, directly touching the Conservative Party of Canada. Not just the party, but also the leadership race in which Pierre Polyev was selected.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
Despite that, knowing that, he refused to get security clearance to review the documents and the information about the allegations of foreign interference. So foreign governments, foreign countries interfering in his party specifically, in his leadership race specifically. The allegations were they tried to support a favored candidate.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
uh he refused to get the security clearance to learn about that so he is no stranger to foreign interference and i've said again and again he has shown a willingness to put his party in front of the country and i think ultimately when it comes down to it you've got to put your country first got to put the protection of the people of the country
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
the sanctity and the institutions of the country before your own party. And he has failed to do that. I think it disqualifies him as a candidate for prime minister. I think it clearly shows he does not have the right priorities or the moral certitude to do the right work here.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
Yeah, sure, sure. It's always a little bit embarrassing to talk about yourself too much. My goal is to fight for the people, but I think it's always helpful to know a bit about, I guess, who you're trying to vote for or support. I was born in Canada, born in Toronto. My parents were immigrants from Punjab. My dad studied medicine and my mom studied medicine. education as a teacher.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
They came here and weren't able to get jobs in their field. My mom got a job as a clerk, entry level, minimum wage. My dad was working as a security guard while he was trying to pass his exams to get recognized. My family went through lots of ups and downs. My dad eventually was able to get a
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
a good position and and did really well and then he struggled with uh an addiction that really meant the home was an unstable place uh i took care of my kid brother when i went to university so i was 20 my kid brother's 15 he came to live with me uh and it was a tough time my dad got really sick and then
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
I had to work multiple jobs to take care of my kid brother while going to school at the same time. I got through school. I ended up going to law school. I wrote a book that shared some of my challenges. I'm a survivor of sexual abuse. When I was a kid, I took martial arts classes to protect me against bullying. And then I also suffered abuse there.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
So I really understand the plight of survivors and what that's like. I know what it's like to live with someone who you love and care for, but it's also
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
someone that's addicted to substance that can turn into someone who's scary and a monster even though there's someone you love and they're so generous and kind i've seen ups and downs financially my family was very successful but then lost everything and my parents went bankrupt and i had to be the sole income earner for my family for a number of years so i've seen a lot of ups and downs and when i was a lawyer and practicing my brother basically said i need you to get into politics i said brother
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
uh i love fighting for people i do pro bono work for community groups but politics is not for me and he ended up convincing me even though he's my kid brother and so i give him a lot of credit for this journey so he convinced me to get into it because he reminded me what my mom always said that you know we don't want to just survive we want to thrive and thriving in our culture means giving back to the people around you
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
and this belief that we're all one. And that's something that's driven me my whole life, that we're all one. He said, if we're all one, then you've got to do everything possible to fight for the people around you and lift them up. And so he eventually convinced me to do it, and I got into politics. I never had a political background. I had a family that was in politics.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
So I ran for the first time ever at the federal level, so like a congressman. And I came really close and wasn't able to pull it off. And then I ran again provincially, so I got elected provincially. I was provincial, like a state representative for a number of years. I became deputy leader and then made the plunge into federal politics and became leader federally.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
And then when we were in politics federally, we were able to use minority governments to get things done. So we got dental care in, which has helped out, like I mentioned, millions of Canadians. Dental care is covered for seniors and for kids, for families that earn $90,000 or less. So you can go to a dentist and your dental bills are covered. That's something that we fought for, we made happen.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
We fought to bring in Pharmacare. So that's a free diabetes medication devices and birth control. And we were able to bring in better laws to protect workers so that when they go on strike, The boss can't bring in replacement workers or scabs. So we brought in anti-scab legislation. So the journey, I guess, tried to do a little quick summary of some of the political wins and some of the fight.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
But throughout it all, we were guided by the principle, me and my team and my family, of how do we lift up the people around us because we are better off when we take care of each other.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
Well, I'd say when it comes to Canada, let me be very clear. Canadians do not want to be a part of the United States. They're proud of being Canadians. We do not want a for-profit healthcare system where you go bankrupt if you have a heart attack or if you have a cancer diagnosis. We are proud of our country. And if you want to pick a fight with us, it's going to hurt you as well.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
Well, I would say first off, Donald Trump is acting more like an internet troll than a president of the United States. I don't think that's the way you act as a president. And it's certainly not the way you interact with other countries. But as I mentioned, I've dealt with bullies throughout my life. And I know what it's like.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
We don't want that. We want to build a strong relationship where we work together.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
i want to send a clear message if you want to pick a fight with canada we're going to we're going to fight back and that means retaliatory tariffs that means if you impose harm on canada it's also going to be felt in the united states and we saw that before when they imposed the aluminum and steel tariffs you impose those tariffs on canada we responded and it hurt americans it is not how we build a strong relationship it's not how we build a good economy we need to work together
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
Even if you're the smaller guy, even if you're outnumbered, you got to make it not worth the bullies while bullies only understand strength. They only understand strength and pain. So you have to make sure you're standing up and showing that if you want to take that decision to fight with us, to pick a fight with us, it's going to hurt you too.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
And so I want to issue a challenge actually on your show today. For anyone that's running for prime minister, I've committed that Canada would respond with retaliatory tariffs. If Trump imposes tariffs on Canada, we should respond with tariffs. That's how you respond to a bully. You got to respond with strength.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
So my challenge is for anyone else out there who's running to become prime minister, I want you to also commit so that Donald Trump knows that anyone in Canada who gets that position will respond with a tariff, with tariffs in kind, fighting fire with fire, showing that we're ready to stand up to a bully.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
Yeah, there's going to be elections soon. First of all, it's ridiculous what he's saying. But let's be really clear what he's saying. He has said this again and again. So he is making the case. to cut healthcare. He is saying that we need to privatize and cut everything in our country. He is saying that healthcare is bad. He is saying that dental care is bad.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
He is saying that pensions are bad, that employment insurance. What he is saying is all the things that actually help out the working class are bad. And he's going to cut them.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
So for someone in Canada right now, you know, back to the question of why we don't want to be part of the States, I can assure you Canadians don't want the American-style system where if you get a heart attack or, God forbid, you get a cancer diagnosis, you end up going bankrupt. That never happens in Canada. You do not go bankrupt for an illness in Canada. We see we've got protections in place.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
If someone loses their job, there's employment insurance. So you get a little bit of support so you can get back on your feet and find a new job. You get some income supports. He wants to cut that. Seniors in Canada get a pension. You spend your life here, you get a pension at the end of the day, and that pension is stable, it's solid.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
I think it should be higher, but there is a pension and seniors rely on it. He came out and said he wanted to cut that, one of his first ideas. So for Canadians listening,
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
know that pierre polly of the conservatives want to cut the things that you need it's going to hurt you and the only ones that it benefits to cut health care is a super rich to cut pensions is a super rich to benefit from that pensions help the working class not having pensions
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
benefits those who are super rich but it hurts the workers it hurts the working class and so what he is proposing is to hurt working class people is to hurt middle class people and i want canadians to know i'm going to fight back against that i'm going to fight tooth and nail to protect the things that we have and make them better make them stronger
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
Yes. Yes. And I, and I want to, this is an important thing because I think you're right. I think there are some people that are losing hope and people that are feeling like, you know, what can I do? And that sense of helplessness might be setting in for some folks. So I want to speak directly to those folks.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
When you are feeling worried, deeply worried, maybe afraid that Pierre Polyev is going to cut the things that you believe in, cut health care, cut pensions, that dental care program that I fought for that brought in over a million people who were able to get their teeth fixed. Millions of people are signed up to this program. He wants to cut that as well.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
For folks that are worried and maybe afraid of Pierre Polyev and the conservatives, I want you to know that we are building a movement. That for folks that are afraid of the conservatives and people who feel let down by the liberals. You feel let down because the liberals promised to do things and they said they were going to get things done and they didn't do it.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
So you feel let down by the liberals. Stand with us. We are building a movement and together we can fight and we can win. You know, while Pierre Polyev is ahead in the polls, it's a serious challenge. He's at 40%. That means 60% of Canadians still don't want it. If we come together, if we organize together, if we fight, we can win. And I know Canadians believe in a universal health care system.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
They believe in our system. They want it to be stronger. They don't want to see it cut. Well, Pierre probably wants to cut it. So anyone who wants to protect our health care system, join us. For anyone out there that thinks pensions should be there and should be even stronger, join us. We're fighting back to protect your pensions. So I want to make that message to Canadians. We are fighting back.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
And for the first time in a decade, we have pulled ahead of the governing party. If we come together, we can fight back against conservatives. We can stop them from cutting the things that you believe in and you love so dearly.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
You have to hear that a lot. Yeah, no, for sure we do, for sure. Well, I think ultimately people right now are feeling like life has gotten worse. And I think this applies to the States as well. I think people are attributing a shift left and right to what is just people looked at their lives and said at the end of four years in the States, nine years in Canada, that their life is worse off.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
It's more expensive to buy groceries, more expensive to find a home. Things are more costly. Salaries haven't kept up. People are really feeling squeezed. And they thought, you know, this guy might make my life more affordable.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
And so I want to make sure people know very clearly, if you are a working class person, if you are a middle class person, if you're a middle class family, that Pierre Polyab is going to cut things and make life even more expensive. And if you think about the things that are actually driving up your cost of living, the cost of your groceries,
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
Well, Pierre Polyev, his chief advisor, Jenny Byrne, widely known, that's his chief advisor. She runs a lobby firm and she is the chief lobbyist for the biggest corporate grocery store in Canada. So do you think she will let Polyev ever take on the greed of these big corporate grocery stores that are ripping you off? No.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
We know that the housing market in Canada is amazing for rich investors, big developers. They make lots of money in Canada. But it's not working for a working class family. It's not working for a senior. It's not working for a young person that graduates even with a good job. They cannot find a home. It's impossible. You think Pierre Polyev is going to fix that?
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
Well, his chief advisor, Jenny Byrne, is also a chief lobbyist for the biggest corporate landlords in Canada. So they're not going to fix the problems that you're up against.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
And so I would say to people, if you're worried about the cost of groceries, if you're worried about the cost of a home, if you're worried about building a good life, Pierre Polyev is going to do everything in his power to make it even harder for you to help out his rich friends. We are committed to taking on those greedy CEOs. I'm committed to fighting back against folks that are ripping you off.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
I want to change the housing market so it works for you, for working class people, not for a rich investor, not for a developer, but it works for a family. It works for a young person. It works for a senior. We can do these things. And my message is the way we do it is we come together. I know folks have voted different ways in the past. Maybe you voted liberal in the past.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
Maybe you voted Green Party in the past. For people that are looking for some hope, I ask you to stand with me this time. Stand with us this time and together we can come together and fight back and we can win.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
Yeah, it's a great point. I would break it into two parts. First part is who who appeals to or who Elon Musk is working with or who is he spending his time with? It is clear he is on the side of billionaires. He's on the side of CEOs. I made the case that his chief adviser is also a chief lobbyist for the wealthiest corporations.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
Well, you also look at what Pierre Polyev has done in the past two years. He has met with over 100 corporate lobbyists. He has spent his time with the wealthiest in Canada doing private fundraisers in multimillion dollar mansions. So it's very clear who he is setting himself up with. He is on the side of the billionaires. He is on the side of those tech bro billionaires in Canada.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
And it's clear that Elon Musk falls in that same camp.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Canada NDP Leader STRIKES BACK at Trump’s THREATS
billionaires who want governments to make laws that benefit them make them even more money and hurt the working class so that's one side of it and the second side of it is the foreign interference well in canada there was clear allegations of foreign interference brought by our rcmp like the the fbi in the states rs rcmp is the the federal police agency
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
And so a big piece of this conversation for us, I think, is really understanding. finding a way to pull them back from that questioning of things that really are coming from places that are not rooted in science. I mean, a lot of the influencers out there do not have medical degrees, did not go to medical school, have never worked in the scientific field.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
It's glad to be here. Thank you.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
And as Dr. Hotez said, there's not even evidence that half of the things they're discussing would work. I mean, vitamin C is not going to health and immune system that's been completely decimated by an illness like measles or influenza, for example. And so it's kind of our job to give that education. I think what we are dealing with is I get 10 or 15 minutes in a room
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
And they are getting hours and hours and hours of this outside of my clinic exam room in all kinds of different forms. And I will say that we're working really hard to teach our physicians how to have a little bit better social media presence. This is not something we're taught in medical school. You do a great job being out there. Dr. Hotez does.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
And I think it's so refreshing to have your voices out there supporting what we're doing you know, working towards, but a majority of us are just not trained to do that. We don't have the ability to be on social media hours and hours and hours a day the way some of the influencers do. And so I certainly believe that the trust our patients have in us
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
can convince many of them who are just kind of on the ledge or not sure or questioning. But I fear that there is enough people who've crossed over into the completely opposed side and how we get them back and how we get that trust established again.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
I think that's something that is a really great concern for most of us, especially in primary care, not just pediatrics, I think even in adult medicine, but for sure in pediatrics, we struggle with that.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
No, absolutely. I mean, I think that if you're able to And I don't think that this is a problem. I mean, this is where people are getting your information from now. We have to be super realistic. This is the future. We do not turn on the TV to watch the 530 News anymore to receive information.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
Majority of the people I know, I mean, if they send me something, it's a TikTok or an Instagram post or, you know, a reel off of Facebook. It's bite size, 30 seconds. That's what people are looking for. And I think that if we can leverage AI, which very rapidly can produce the results that you're talking about, but is able to produce results from the correct sources, right?
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
So what goes in is what comes out. And that's what I think would be really, really important. You're absolutely right. It can be leveraged to really help us with our messaging. It certainly can become a resource that we can direct our patients to, to help get that message across. But certainly I think it would matter as to where is that coming from? I think for me, the vision of where AI is going
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
is something we have to evolve to. We certainly have to keep up with that. And it can be a resource that we could definitely use. Because like you said, I do think that the face-to-face makes a huge difference. But if you're able to also support that with something like this, where there's data, there's clinical trials, they actually can be sourced and put together.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
And suddenly you see it's not one study, it's 150 studies that is backing this information up. That to me, I think could potentially, at least for that group that I consider to be the questioning, they're not against it completely, but they're not totally sure about pulling, you know, the yes on the vaccine. I think that would be a tool that we could certainly use.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
Yeah, I mean, I think every residency program honestly could benefit from that. I think that in general, in our training, we just don't we don't get enough of that training. And to your point about the establishment and the idea that the larger systems, you know, hesitate, I will tell you that.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
You know, something that I heard just a few days ago in a talk that was given by Dr. Todd Wolins, who I think is in the influencer space and is kind of doing a lot of work with the vaccine hesitancy, was that
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
some of the same people who hold these beliefs about the vaccines and and just have this mistrust of science at large find the larger systems to also be establishment and so sometimes if the messaging is coming from that place it may actually work against us to some extent and so it kind of brought that focus back to what you were saying is
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
How do I put the trust back between myself and my patient? And that conversation has the value that I think most of us went into pediatrics for. I went into pediatrics because I wanted to be a part of someone's family out of really... just unbelievably vulnerable level and to be able to watch that child go from day one to 18 years or some of them 21 because they don't want to leave us.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
But to be able to be a part of that experience. And I think, like you said, when these conversations that we that was our compensation, it was the trust. It was these beautiful experiences with families. When that begins to break down and now our conversations are happening around, oh, well, we know that pharma pays you for your vaccines.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
We know that you're supposed to give us vaccines because that gives you a bonus. And we're lost in translation. I don't think that a lot of us as pediatricians even know what language people are speaking because trust is fundamentally broken. And that is something I think a lot of us are going to need education in terms of how do you respond and allow your emotional response to that.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
Take a back seat and find a way to work around it so you can hear the patient and have the conversation go back to what we used to value, which was a foundation of trust. I still believe that that is where we're going to win. If we're going to be able to move the needle, it is going to have to happen, I think.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
between us as physicians and those families but um but i think that's a huge undertaking particularly what we're up against i think i think the other and i totally agree but i think part of that also is educating pediatricians and healthcare providers
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
Yeah, I mean, I think it's interesting because our lived experience, especially, you know, my clinical experience is just so wildly different from what I think is being put out there. I mean, I will tell you, I had a kid in the Pfizer trial for the COVID vaccine who received a placebo. I was witness to this happening. It was a clinical, obviously we were testing vaccines against placebos.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
I had a kid who received one. And the idea that we would give kids anything or recommend anything that would be dangerous or not in the best interest of their health. And if you ask a majority of the pediatricians and physicians out there, we are vaccinating our own kids. You know, the cognitive dissonance of hearing us say, I am giving this to my own child.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
You know, why would that be something that would be in the threat of harm or somehow tied to some kickback or some other, you know, inappropriate intention? It's really hard to fathom. And the things that you noted in those pillars are, I mean, if you speak to my patients, they're going to tell you I talk about that all the time. Please don't process foods.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
Please don't go out there and slather yourself all crazy chemicals. I mean, the general discussion about health and well-being. is 90% of what we do in pediatrics. And a piece of that includes preventing diseases that could potentially kill our beautiful, healthy kids. And so I think that it's fair to put that out there.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
And I think the way that it's messaged is very attractive because a general population wants to see these things tackled. But into Dr. Hotez's point, how are you going to accomplish that? What are you truly intending to do? Because I think that for us here working in those clinics in the trenches, we would love support with that. We really would.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
I'd love for certain types of processed foods to disappear completely. But Is that the point? Is that what we're working towards? Because if that's what we're working towards, I think that you'll have a lot of buy-in from medical establishment as well. But I think we're all still waiting to see, is that truly the intention here?
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
Because we really need to make sure that we're getting back to what is rooted in evidence, science, and facts. I mean, that's the most important thing I think we need to be focused on.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
I think what gives me hope is the absolute belief and trust that I have that most of us, particularly in the field that I'm in, in pediatrics, our calling to this is going to be what's going to give us strength to continue to work against the misinformation that's out there. I think we need better tools, and I think that that is something we can be provided with.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
So through better education, a little more training, scripting, helping us figure out how do we make the connection with these patients who are receiving all this information from the outside, you know, that counters so much of what I'm saying,
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
We've got to be able to do a better job of doing that, getting our physicians better training, better ability to get out there and speak in a way that reaches the patients that we know we can still reach. be able to build trust with and establish that trust with, I think that's gonna be super important.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
And I have hope because fundamentally, what I think is really interesting is, I think it was like a line from the show, The Pit, where it's, you come to us for the treatment, but not the advice. Well, if they're still coming to us for the treatment, I think the door is still open. So there is some fundamental belief in the back of everyone's mind that we are there to do the right thing.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
We are there to help. We are there to heal. And it's just a matter of kind of pushing past all the other stuff that's now coming at them to get back to that place where we can convince them, you know, my goal in this room is to just do my best job with your child. And I have the same focus that you do.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
You want what's best for your kid, so do I. And I think we really fundamentally have to find a better way to communicate that. It may take multiple different facets of communication and many different platforms. And I think we're gonna have to move out of our comfort zone to do that. But I have a lot of hope. I'm in clinic today and I'm telling you,
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
Every time I have the interaction with a family, it just refreshes my faith in the fact that I'm here for this purpose. And yes, things are tough, but we are going to be able to do this because this is our calling. This is what we were called to do is take care of these children. So that keeps me hopeful and optimistic despite everything else that's out there.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
I mean, I think accountability, I was raised in a household where the truth is the truth and the truth eventually reveals itself and it becomes obvious to everyone. I fear that we're going to have to suffer through more of the consequences before we get to a place where enough eyes are opened to what is happening. And at that point, the accountability will not have to come from our institutions.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
It will come from the people. Because if you have enough children who develop a disease that kills them, healthy, happy kids who die the way that we've already lost two in Texas, you will begin to have parents who will now begin to come back and say, I believed you. I thought what you were telling me was true. And that does not work out because the truth, whether you want to cover it up or not,
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
preface it in some different way is the truth that is what it is and i think ultimately what will happen is public health being a victim of its own good work right we've spent years not seeing these diseases but imagine a polio case popping up in this country and we begin to see children paralyzed we begin to see children who can't breathe physically can't move their lungs anymore
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
Those consequences, and again, I hope we don't get to the point where that's what we have to see for us to understand what is happening. But that is where accountability will be open and it will be very visible.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
And I do think that when parents begin to understand what is this risk I'm taking and what are the consequences, because up until now, look, we've had enough herd immunity in a majority of our communities that people who didn't vaccinate They're fine. They haven't had a consequence. But we have moved past that point where they're safe in the sheer numbers of us who do vaccinate.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
And I fear that as that begins to show what's going to happen with the increased rates of outbreaks, and hopefully not, but I'll tell you what, pertussis is back. I'm in clinic one day a week and I diagnosed a case two weeks ago. It's back.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
So these other emerging diseases, they will pull accountability because when you begin to see the catastrophic side effects of these decisions, then the people who have sold these inappropriate thoughts and lies to people are gonna have to answer for why they did that because ultimately the truth is the truth.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
Absolutely. Thank you for being a voice. Thank you.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
I mean, the inpatient war, it's not as much. But in the outpatient world, we are certainly starting to see significant amount of vaccine hesitancy compared to what we saw even years ago. You know, it's interesting. We have been surveying our physicians for a while about burnout and moral injury. And in our third iteration of this assessment,
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
patient resistance to our advice and to our recommendations is one of the second drivers of burnout amongst pediatricians right now. So I certainly think that what we're seeing is an increased hesitancy and also refusal to vaccinate. Much of it coming from what Dr. Hotez spoke about, the misinformation that you're finding out there, and there's so much of it
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
And it's coming from so many different directions that for those of us in healthcare who are working in the trenches, it's hard. It's hard to kind of be the only voice that's fighting back against that and trying really hard to be thoughtful and compassionate. and to educate families that this is, you know, it's a decision that has really significant consequences.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
So I can certainly tell you we're obviously seeing small case rates here and there. In fact, Hayes County just reported a positive case, and now we're chasing that exposure history. So this happens... not just in effect with the West Texas case, but what you're hearing now is literally week after week after week, we're chasing more exposures, more positive cases.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
It may be a one-off, but I think our greatest fear is that as vaccine rates drop, even across other areas of Texas, that that one-off case will turn into an outbreak very, very quickly. And so that's something that we've been really, really concerned with because in the outpatient setting, our entire population
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
Work has been around preventing these diseases, and that is really becoming significantly harder to do now.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
I think it works when you have the ability and the time to be able to spend in the room with these patients. And I think that one of the things, there's certainly a population of parents, they are bought, sold, and opposed at a level that we're not going to convince them.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Meidas Health, Episode 7: Misinformation, MAHA, Measles, and the Future of Medicine (with Drs. Peter Hotez and Sapna Singh)
They're the parents who come in with, I've done my research, and in fact, will try to convince us to do research in the same thread. But you've got this huge group of folks that are They're questioning whether what they've seen and heard is true. And as a parent, you can understand that you don't want to make mistakes with your kid. You don't want to mess up.