The Trump administration pushed the therapy as an option for hospitalized patients early in the pandemic, before its effectiveness was proved. In August 2020, when the Food and Drug Administration gave emergency authorization to convalescent plasma, President Donald Trump and then-FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn sharply overstated the treatment’s effectiveness, leading to widespread criticism. In February, the FDA narrowed use of the plasma to the antibody-rich version and said it should be used early in the treatment of hospitalized patients.