President Donald Trump tweeted his displeasure with Dr. Deborah Birx on Monday after she stated over the weekend that the coronavirus pandemic has entered a new phase and is now more widespread in both rural and urban settings than in previous months.
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 06: White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Dr. Debora Birx attends a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds in the Oval Office at the White House as he continues to promote re-opening business during the coronavirus pandemic May 06, 2020 in Washington, DC. Reynolds lifted some restrictions May 1 in 77 of her state’s counties, allowing gyms, restaurants and retail stores to reopen while areas and counties that have been hard hit by the outbreak remain closed. (Photo by Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images)
Trump has frequently criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci’s public comments on the government’s pandemic response but this is the first time he publicly criticized Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator. (RELATED: Meet The Three-Headed Monster Getting Rich Off COVID | WALL STREET MEETS WASHINGTON EP. 17)
“So Crazy Nancy Pelosi said horrible things about Dr. Deborah Birx, going after her because she was too positive on the very good job we are doing on combatting the China Virus, including Vaccines & Therapeutics,” the president tweeted. “In order to counter Nancy, Deborah took the bait & hit us. Pathetic!”
So Crazy Nancy Pelosi said horrible things about Dr. Deborah Birx, going after her because she was too positive on the very good job we are doing on combatting the China Virus, including Vaccines & Therapeutics. In order to counter Nancy, Deborah took the bait & hit us. Pathetic!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 3, 2020
Trump’s comments come just one day after senior White House officials defended Birx following critical comments made by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
White House strategic communications director Alyssa Farah suggested “It is deeply irresponsible of Speaker Pelosi to repeatedly try to undermine & create public distrust in Dr Birx, the top public health professional on the coronavirus task force.” (RELATED: Birx Says States Must ‘Scramble’ For Coronavirus Tests After George Floyd Protests)
“It’s also just wrong,” she wrote. “Period. Hard stop.”
It is deeply irresponsible of Speaker Pelosi to repeatedly try to undermine & create public distrust in Dr Birx, the top public health professional on the coronavirus task force. It’s also just wrong. Period. Hard stop.
— Alyssa Farah (@Alyssafarah) August 2, 2020
In all seriousness, Dr. Deborah Birx was one of Pres. Obama’s better appointees, IMO. Cc: @SpeakerPelosi
— Alyssa Farah (@Alyssafarah) August 2, 2020
White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere added that “Dr. Birx is one of the smartest, honest, most talented professionals” he has ever worked with and that “baseless, political attacks against her and her long record of saving lives and protecting public health are disgusting and shameful.”
Dr. Birx is one of the smartest, honest, most talented professionals I’ve ever worked with. The baseless, political attacks against her and her long record of saving lives and protecting public health are disgusting and shameful. https://t.co/Kq8kPXy8iu
— Judd Deere (@JuddPDeere45) August 2, 2020
Birx’s comments came during a Sunday interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“What we are seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread,” she stated. “It’s into the rural as equal urban areas.”