Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Minimizing Own Role In Sharp Divergence From Predecessors Who Led During Crises
The Washington Post: Trump Poised To Let Others Take The Lead In Coronavirus Pandemic
President Trump has proclaimed the latest phase of pandemic response the “transition to greatness.” But Trump appears poised to preside over the eventual transition more as a salesman and marketer than a decider. Many consequential actions are being done by others. The nation’s governors are overseeing their states’ plans to reopen their economies. Business leaders are making their own choices about how their employees can safely and responsibly return to work. Treasury officials are negotiating with Congress the details of financial stimulus packages. And scientists and public health officials are leading the race for a vaccine. (Parker and Rucker, 5/17)
Politico: Trump Projects A Sense Of Normal, But West Wing Has A Ways To Go
As President Donald Trump urges businesses across the country to reopen and Americans to return to work, he and his administration are projecting a sense of normal after months of disruption because of the coronavirus. Trump is spending the week meeting with governors and restaurant executives at the White House, while Vice President Mike Pence will travel to Florida to meet with Gov. Ron DeSantis and deliver personal protective equipment to a nursing home. (Cook, 5/18)
NBC News: The Week The White House Was Masked
It was a jarring sight in the Rose Garden this past Monday as one top administration official after another — senior adviser Jared Kushner, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany — all walked to their seats wearing crisp medical masks. Just that morning I had watched a string of senior aides arrive at the West Wing without any type of face covering, even after two staffers were diagnosed with the coronavirus days earlier. (Pettypiece, 5/17)
The Hill: Trump Tears Into '60 Minutes' After Segment With Whistleblower Bright
President Trump took aim at CBS News and its flagship news magazine program, "60 Minutes," on Sunday after the program interviewed whistleblower Rick Bright, former head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). In a tweet, the president excoriated CBS and its "third place anchor, @NorahODonnell," whom he accused of "doing everything in their power to demean our Country, much to the benefit of the Radical Left Democrats." (Bowden, 5/17)
The Hill: Trump To Tour Ford Ventilator Assembly Plant In Michigan
President Trump will head to Michigan for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began on Thursday where he will tour a Ford plant currently producing ventilators for hospitals. White House spokesman Judd Deere made the announcement on Twitter Sunday evening, linking to Crain's Detroit Business, which first reported the news. (Bowden, 5/17)
Politico: Trump Keeps His Staff In Flux With White House Musical Chairs
The White House is on the cusp of negotiating another giant economic rescue package with Congress, but it’s weighing a new top congressional liaison. It’s facing numerous coronavirus-related domestic policy crises, from health care to immigration to education, yet is getting a new head of its Domestic Policy Council. Unemployment is soaring and businesses are worried about the economic landscape even after the pandemic recedes, but the head of President Donald Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers has not been seen much in weeks — though a former CEA chair is back in the spotlight as an unpaid adviser. (Cook, 5/18)
