Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
So I reached out to him and asked him would he join this new campaign of mine to change the editorial board and he accepted. I just tweeted it again. He was nominated like one of the rising stars in media. So obviously we made the right call.
Well, you know, as you said, leaders have to lead. We led, and interestingly enough, a day later or two days later, Jeff Bezos followed. Whether he followed us or whether he followed on his own accord, I have no idea. I have not communicated with Jeff on any of these issues. So whatever Jeff Bezos' motivation was, you have to ask Jeff. But my motivation was very clear.
Well, you know, as you said, leaders have to lead. We led, and interestingly enough, a day later or two days later, Jeff Bezos followed. Whether he followed us or whether he followed on his own accord, I have no idea. I have not communicated with Jeff on any of these issues. So whatever Jeff Bezos' motivation was, you have to ask Jeff. But my motivation was very clear.
I did not believe in an echo chamber prepackaged endorsement, which I have yet to see, but didn't believe in, of a candidate that I had some knowledge of. And both candidates I have some knowledge of. And I just wanted some fair, factual statements to be put out there. And the editorial board elected to rather than do that, keep quiet about it, which I supported.
I did not believe in an echo chamber prepackaged endorsement, which I have yet to see, but didn't believe in, of a candidate that I had some knowledge of. And both candidates I have some knowledge of. And I just wanted some fair, factual statements to be put out there. And the editorial board elected to rather than do that, keep quiet about it, which I supported.
I said I would not accept an endorsement that firstly, I wasn't part of that analysis. And secondly, I wasn't sure that analysis is based on facts rather than speculation.
I said I would not accept an endorsement that firstly, I wasn't part of that analysis. And secondly, I wasn't sure that analysis is based on facts rather than speculation.
I have very strong feelings about some of them. When the president-elect nominated Robert Kennedy, there was this furor around Robert Kennedy. Having said that, what he says is fundamentally correct. We have huge amounts of toxic materials. We have a rising incidence of cancer. He was the first to announce about PFAS we can talk about.
I have very strong feelings about some of them. When the president-elect nominated Robert Kennedy, there was this furor around Robert Kennedy. Having said that, what he says is fundamentally correct. We have huge amounts of toxic materials. We have a rising incidence of cancer. He was the first to announce about PFAS we can talk about.
I've been studying for the last five years the coloring and toxic materials in the food that causes cancer. My concern in life or my entire career was to find a cure for cancer. And I was beginning to see in a slam, beginning to see the higher incidence of cancer in young people. And I think the underlying basis of that is all the chemicals that we are eating, drinking.
I've been studying for the last five years the coloring and toxic materials in the food that causes cancer. My concern in life or my entire career was to find a cure for cancer. And I was beginning to see in a slam, beginning to see the higher incidence of cancer in young people. And I think the underlying basis of that is all the chemicals that we are eating, drinking.
And we can talk a little bit about that. My other concern was with regard to the care of a patient, you really cannot have the touch and feel of from some academic bureaucrat versus somebody who has actually touched and felt patients. And when he nominated Dr. Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon, as the FDA head, that was such a breath of fresh air.
And we can talk a little bit about that. My other concern was with regard to the care of a patient, you really cannot have the touch and feel of from some academic bureaucrat versus somebody who has actually touched and felt patients. And when he nominated Dr. Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon, as the FDA head, that was such a breath of fresh air.
When he nominated Dr. Mehmet Oz, who was a cardiothoracic surgeon, that was such a breath of fresh air. And what it speaks to is the level of competence. I think unless you have competence, the combination of competence and real world experience about real world patients lives, and how it affects Americans lives, you really would end up with a bureaucratic mess.
When he nominated Dr. Mehmet Oz, who was a cardiothoracic surgeon, that was such a breath of fresh air. And what it speaks to is the level of competence. I think unless you have competence, the combination of competence and real world experience about real world patients lives, and how it affects Americans lives, you really would end up with a bureaucratic mess.
And when I tweeted that about that was an inspired choice. I think again, I got positive and negative. But I think I need to go out now on programs like this and have no sort of short soundbites. I need to give complex insights into complex issues that affect our healthcare. And I think if anybody can bring change at the level of the HHS and downstream, it's Robert Kennedy.
And when I tweeted that about that was an inspired choice. I think again, I got positive and negative. But I think I need to go out now on programs like this and have no sort of short soundbites. I need to give complex insights into complex issues that affect our healthcare. And I think if anybody can bring change at the level of the HHS and downstream, it's Robert Kennedy.
I think without getting political, if you look at the current HHS, There's no different, maybe even less competence in the current HHS secretary. I say that at high risk because our approvals is dependent on the HHS secretary understanding the importance of the decisions that's being made in the pharmaceutical industry. Yes, I think it is an inspired choice.
I think without getting political, if you look at the current HHS, There's no different, maybe even less competence in the current HHS secretary. I say that at high risk because our approvals is dependent on the HHS secretary understanding the importance of the decisions that's being made in the pharmaceutical industry. Yes, I think it is an inspired choice.
I think he ran truly on the basis of looking out for the welfare and health of all Americans and most importantly of children and this next generation of children and grandchildren who are being affected by the toxins that we have in our food and in our water and in our farmlands and how we can