Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Parallel Data' Given To Trump, Maybe From Atlas, Birx Says
Politico: Deborah Birx: ‘Parallel Set Of Data’ On Covid-19 Was Delivered To Trump
While Deborah Birx served as the White House coronavirus response coordinator under President Donald Trump, “outside advisers” were bringing him “parallel” sets of data on the Covid-19 pandemic, she said in an interview that aired on Sunday. “I saw the president presenting graphs that I never made,” Birx said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “So, I know that someone — or someone out there or someone inside was creating a parallel set of data and graphics that were shown to the president.” (Hooper, 1/24)
CNBC: Birx Says Someone Was Giving Trump 'Parallel Data' About Covid Pandemic
[Dr. Deborah] Birx, who announced her retirement as President Joe Biden took office last week, said she doesn’t know the identity of the person who gave the president different information. She added that there were Covid-19 deniers within the Trump administration. “There were people who definitely believed that this was a hoax,” she said. “I think the information was confusing at the beginning. I think because we didn’t talk about the spectrum of the disease, everyone interpreted what they knew.” (Newburger, 1/24)
Stat: 'I'm Not Looking To Be Vindicated,' Birx Says In Televised Interview
Not being publicly outspoken enough about issues with the Covid-19 response may have been Deborah Birx’s biggest mistake, the former White House coronavirus task force coordinator said in a 30-minute interview that aired Sunday morning on CBS News’s Face the Nation. (Sheridan, 1/24)
The Washington Post: Deborah Birx Says She Regularly Considered Quitting Trump Coronavirus Team, In 'Face The Nation' Interview
Facing criticism from the administration she worked for and some in the scientific community, Deborah Birx, coordinator of the Trump White House’s coronavirus response, “always” considered quitting her job, she said in an interview set to air Sunday. “I mean, why would you want to put yourself through that every day?” Birx said in a clip of her conversation with Margaret Brennan on CBS News’ “Face The Nation.” (Kornfield, 1/22)
And Dr. Anthony Fauci describes what it was like behind the scenes —
The New York Times: Fauci On What Working For Trump Was Really Like
In an hourlong conversation with The New York Times over the weekend, Dr. Fauci described some of the difficulties, and the toll, of working with President Donald J. Trump: ... "The people around him, his inner circle, were quite upset that I would dare publicly contradict the president. That’s when we started getting into things I felt were unfortunate and somewhat nefarious." (McNeil Jr. 1/24)
The Hill: Fauci Describes 'Chilling' Pressure On Scientists In Trump Era
Anthony Fauci, the federal government’s leading infectious disease expert, said it was “chilling” to see the pressure put on scientists during the Trump administration by officials seeking to project rosy messaging about the coronavirus. Fauci recounted on “The Rachel Maddow Show” on Friday night that officials under former President Trump pressed government scientists in what he said was an unusual dynamic compared with his work under past administrations, describing "a situation where science was distorted and/or rejected." (Axelrod, 1/23)
