When healers turn hostile

by Monty Donohew 

In an era where trust in institutions is already frayed, a disturbing trend has emerged within the medical profession: healthcare workers openly expressing willingness, even eagerness, to deny care or inflict harm on patients based on political disagreements. A recent viral scandal involving a Virginia nurse underscores just how far this rot has spread.

Malinda Cook (sometimes reported as Melinda), a nurse employed by Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health, posted a series of TikTok videos that shocked the nation (the link takes you to a Lib of TikTok X-post so as to avoid engagement for Cook). In them, she encouraged viewers to “sabotage” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents by injecting them with succinylcholine, a powerful paralytic drug used in anesthesia that can cause temporary paralysis and, if misused, far worse. She went further, suggesting spraying poison ivy on agents, poisoning their food, and even urging women to date ICE personnel solely to drug them. “All the medical providers, grab some syringes,” she reportedly said in one clip, framing it as a “scare tactic” or outright sabotage.

VCU Health swiftly placed Cook on administrative leave, and investigated the matter, and ultimately terminated her employment. VCU Police assisted in the probe. The health system condemned the videos as “highly inappropriate” and inconsistent with its values. Yet the damage was done: a licensed healthcare professional, entrusted with life-and-death decisions, publicly advocated using her medical knowledge to harm individuals she politically opposed, federal law enforcement officers carrying out deportation policies under the current administration.

This is not an isolated aberration. It is symptomatic of a broader, deeply troubling pattern on the political Left within healthcare. During the COVID-19 pandemic, countless doctors, nurses, and other providers took to social media to declare they would prioritize or deprioritize care based on vaccination status, a proxy for political affiliation. Some gleefully wished death on the unvaccinated, calling them “selfish” or worse. Others explicitly stated they would deny treatment to Trump supporters, with posts like “Let the MAGA folks die” gaining traction in certain online echo chambers.

More recently, reports have surfaced of nurses in Colorado suggesting they would “target” Trump supporters in emergency rooms, and a Florida nurse facing backlash for refusing care to patients wearing MAGA attire. These are not fringe outliers; they reflect a cultural shift where ideological purity tests have infiltrated a profession bound by the Hippocratic Oath: “First, do no harm.”

What makes this especially chilling is the power imbalance in healthcare settings. Patients are vulnerable, sedated, in pain, or dependent on providers for survival. If a nurse like Malinda Cook feels emboldened to broadcast fantasies of poisoning and paralysis against those she views as political enemies, what prevents subtler acts of neglect or malice behind hospital doors? A delayed response to a call button? An “accidental” medication error? Withholding optimal care during a critical moment? Worse, the victim may be mistakenly identified, or identified based upon family affiliation, residence, or occupation, leaving families in the dark regarding the possibility of abuse. 

Families who have lost loved ones to unexpected complications, sudden declines, or deaths during or shortly after medical treatment, particularly in politically charged times like the pandemic years, should take notice. Political disagreements cut both ways, but the overt hostility has disproportionately come from one side. If a patient wore a MAGA hat, expressed skepticism about vaccines, or simply held conservative views that became known, could that have influenced their care?

This is not paranoia; it is prudence. Medical malpractice and neglect claims exist for a reason. Families have every right, and perhaps a duty, to investigate thoroughly. Request medical records. Consult specialists for second opinions on what went wrong. Speak with attorneys experienced in healthcare litigation. Investigate the social media of caregivers and aides. Patterns may emerge that demand accountability.

The politicization of medicine erodes the foundational trust that allows our healthcare system to function. Patients must believe that their providers will treat them based on need, not ideology. Hospitals and licensing boards must enforce a zero-tolerance policy for such threats, and lawmakers should consider stronger protections against discriminatory care.

Until that trust is restored, vigilance is the best medicine. Protect your family. Ask questions. Demand answers.

In a profession dedicated to healing, no one should ever have to wonder if politics played a role in harm.

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/01/when_healers_turn_hostile.html