But Mr. Trump’s aides tried in vain to make clear that they could not completely control the timing. Dr. Fauci and Dr. Hahn reminded West Wing officials that a company’s vaccine trial results were a “black box,” impossible to see until an independent monitoring board revealed them. A vaccine that did not go through the usual, rigorous government approval process would be a “Pyrrhic victory,” Mr. Azar told them. But he said Mr. Trump sometimes complained in meetings that “it was not going to happen before the election and it will be ‘Sleepy Joe’” who would ultimately get credit. In late October, science and regulations worked against Mr. Trump’s waning hopes for pre-Election Day good news.

Source: New York Times December 31, 2020 19:07 UTC