Mercola’s dangerous grifting has continued during the pandemic.
Laura MacCleery, policy director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, testified to a U.S. Senate subcommittee in July about coronavirus scams and called on federal regulators to take action against Mercola after her organization found “dozens of misleading claims made about at least 23 supplements and medical devices by Dr. Joseph Mercola.” She added, “On a recent episode of Mercola’s podcast, he actually advises consumers to take the immunity-boosting supplements he sells and then attempt to contract the COVID-19 virus deliberately, because his supplements will allegedly reduce their symptoms.”
In February, the Food and Drug Administration sent a letter to Mercola stating that he’s been illegally selling products as a way “to mitigate, prevent, treat, diagnose, or cure COVID-19 in people.”
Mercola’s web empire has repeatedly spread lies during the coronavirus pandemic, including pushing false claims about COVID-19 vaccines. Many of those claims have proliferated on social media.
Despite -- or because of -- that resume, Attkisson hosted Mercola on her March 12 podcast for Just the News to promote his upcoming book The Truth About COVID-19: Exposing The Great Reset, Lockdowns, Vaccine Passports, and the New Normal.
She introduced the interview by defending Mercola, whom she referred to as “a natural health expert who bucks many traditional establishment medical trends,” and touted his work, stating: “I have an interview with a fascinating and often censored and smeared natural health doctor, Joseph Mercola, who has a new book I know you'll be interested in: The Truth About COVID-19. Not long ago, a book about COVID-19, really most any topic that you can think of, would be welcomed into the information landscape. I mean, whether people agree or disagree, such a book, such information, would be added to the body of knowledge available.”
Attkisson’s interview highlighted his supposed expertise in medicine. They later discussed the pandemic, with Mercola characteristically forwarding misinformation about the coronavirus. During one portion, Mercola falsely claimed that the coronavirus death count has been “radically inflated” and is used for "propaganda.”
He also pushed the conspiracy theory that the coronavirus is actually a “plandemic” and appeared to reference the Event 201 conspiracy theory as evidence. (Reflecting the unseriousness of his research, Mercola had difficulty recounting the conspiracy theory's details to Attkisson.)
During the interview, Mercola also promoted his website for Attkisson's listeners.
Attkisson said at the conclusion of the interview: “I hope people will check out your book.”
Mercola’s book will be published next month but he offers an online preview which makes clear that it’s devoted to lies and conspiracy theories. He claims that his book offers “indisputable proof that this pandemic has been used as a convenient cover-up. I review the evidence that it was preplanned with the mainstream manipulation of the facts to inflate the danger posed by this infection” and “there are no excess deaths due to the virus.”
He adds: “It appears we are witnessing the unfolding of a carefully orchestrated plan to facilitate and hide the transfer of wealth to unelected technocrats who are controlling the pandemic narrative — all while simultaneously justifying the erosion of your personal freedoms and civil liberties.”
Always the huckster, Mercola also writes that he’ll “give you a detailed plan for the optimal diet for COVID-19, supplements to combat chronic disease and viral infections, and additional strategies so you can maintain your resistance to illness and infections of all kinds.” And if you preorder his book, you’ll get “free gifts” that include a discount to his store.
