Topic: Searle

A report from New Zealand details the case of Abigail Cormack, who suffered symptoms resembling multiple sclerosis due to an addiction to aspartame-laden chewing gum. The hosts discuss the controversial history of aspartame's approval, alleging that Donald Rumsfeld used political influence to get the additive cleared by the FDA after it was repeatedly rejected. They also mock Rumsfeld's upcoming "Defender of the Constitution" award at CPAC.

Donald Rumsfeld's tenure as CEO of Searle is linked to the controversial FDA approval of aspartame in the early 1980s. Critics point to the timing of the approval following Rumsfeld's entry into the Reagan administration as evidence of political influence over food safety regulations.