Topic: Sms Gate

Donald Trump praised EU President Ursula von der Leyen as "fantastic" while negotiating trade deals. Meanwhile, von der Leyen faces renewed pressure in the European Parliament regarding "SMS Gate," a controversy involving her private text messages with pharmaceutical executives during vaccine procurement.

MEP Cristian Terhes and others challenged Pfizer's refusal to disclose contract pricing and the contents of text messages between Ursula von der Leyen and Albert Bourla, a scandal dubbed "SMS-gate." Terhes questioned how Pfizer was able to begin testing vaccines on mice just three days after the genetic sequence of the virus was released by China. The committee chair faced motions to declare the committee "incompetent" due to its inability to compel testimony or transparency.