It’s Been Weeks Since Top Public Health Officials Have Spoken To Trump

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 23: Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, wearing a face mask bearing the name of the Major League Baseball Washington Nationals, attends a he... WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 23: Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, wearing a face mask bearing the name of the Major League Baseball Washington Nationals, attends a hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Capitol Hill on June 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. The committee is investigating the Trump administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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Some of the most prominent public health officials in the federal government haven’t spoken to President Donald Trump in weeks.

That’s according to their testimony Tuesday to the House Energy & Commerce Committee, during a hearing on the government’s COVID-19 response.

It’s been “about two-and-a-half weeks” since Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, spoke to Trump, the doctor told Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA).

Brett Giroir, the assistant health secretary who has served as the government’s point person for COVID-testing, said the same thing: “About two-and-a-half weeks ago, as well, maybe three weeks ago.”

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn told Barragán it had been “some time” since he’d spoken to Trump about the pandemic response — “the last couple of weeks,” he ball-parked. It was less than a month ago, though, he said when Barragán asked.

One witness before the committee, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert R. Redfield, refused to answer the question, saying simply that “I continue to talk with the [White House Coronavirus] Task Force whenever the Task Force meets.”

“I think the fact that you won’t tell this committee the last time you spoke to him, whether it’s day or months ago, is a real concern,” Barragán responded.

Watch below:

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Notable Replies

  1. Can anyone really blame them? Like talking to the Wall.

  2. Avatar for grack grack says:

    What would normally be a gotcha question is an absolute nothingberder. We all know Trump is incurious at best, and he’s never at his best.

  3. So, then not mentioning to the task group about wanting to cut down testing - he hasn’t talked to them in 2-3 weeks, Trump’s statements that he ordered the cut down on testing and that he was not joking and the pulling of funding from a couple dozen testing facilities at the end of the month are all compatible, whereas the “he was only joking” statements from WH toadies are lies.

  4. So class let’s go back and refresh our memories. Who in the maladministration was appointed to head the Coronavirus Task Force? Was it Pence? Why yes it was.
    So the follow up question should have been when have any of these people talked to Pence?
    Was there someone there from Pence’s office? If no why not?
    I don’t care that Trump acts like a petulant child, but who is really running the response?

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