White House coronavirus taskforce members including Dr. Fauci have been gagged from media interviews for nearly a month as Donald Trump tries to shift focus to ‘reopening’
- Some medical experts on the White House’s coronavirus taskforce haven’t done a television interview in nearly a month
- The White House is trying to switch its messaging from public health to ‘reopening’ the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic
- CNN reported on the trend after finding that the two most prominent doctors – Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx – hadn’t done an interview in more than a week
- Other doctors, including Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, haven’t done a television interview in nearly a month, his last being April 17
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
The doctors who sit on the White House’s coronavirus taskforce are being kept off television, with some experts not doing TV interviews for nearly a month, as President Donald Trump tries to shift his messaging from public health to ‘reopening’ the economy.
CNN reported on that trend after finding that the two most prominent members – Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx – hadn’t been on the airwaves in over a week.
The other three prominent doctors haven’t been interviewed by anchors since April.
The top doctors on President Trump’s (pictured) coronavirus taskforce are spending less time on TV, with the two most prominent members – Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx – not hitting the airwaves in more than a week, other members nearly a month
Dr. Anthony Fauci hasn’t appeared on television in more than a week, but he did testify before the Senate from his home on Tuesday
Dr. Anthony Fauci’s (right) last television interview was with CNN’s Chris Cuomo on May 4, more than a week ago
Dr. Deborah Birx hasn’t appeared on television in over a week, but she was in a White House meeting where reporters could ask questions on Wednesday, as President Trump hosted the governors of North Dakota and Colorado
Dr. Deborah Birx’s (right) last appearance on television was for a CNN town hall more than a week ago, alongside Anderson Cooper (left) and Sanjay Gupta (center)
Dr. Robert Redfield appeared remotely on Tuesday to testify before the Senate HELP Committee about the administration’s coronavirus response
Dr. Robert Redfield’s (right) last television interview was nearly a month ago. He appeared on the ‘Today Show’ on April 17 with Susannah Guthrie (left)
Dr. Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, last appeared in a television interview on Fox News on April 28, according to a CNN report
Dr. Jerome Adams (right), the U.S. Surgeon General, last appeared in a television interview on April 17. He did a segment on ‘Fox & Friends’
CNN’s Oliver Darcy found that Birx was the last doctor to appear in a television interview.
She participated in a CNN town hall on May 7.
Fauci also made his last appearance on the network. He was interviewed by CNN’s Chris Cuomo on May 4.
Dr. Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, last appeared on Fox News on April 28.
He was interviewed by Maria Bartiromo.
And both the Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams, and Dr. Robert Redfield, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, haven’t done an interview since April 17.
This isn’t to say that the doctors haven’t gotten some screentime.
New press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has taken over some of President Trump’s messaging. She held a briefing with reporters on Tuesday and is expected to hold one with journalists Friday afternoon as well
Fauci, Hahn and Redfield – who spent several days working from home after coming into contact with a White House staffer who tested positive for COVID-19 – all testified before the Senate on Tuesday.
Adm. Brett Giroir, who’s the point person on COVID-19 testing, also beamed into the Senate hearing from his office and testified.
Birx sat alongside Trump in his meeting with the governors from North Dakota and Colorado on Wednesday, which was an opportunity for reporters to ask questions.
But the White House has made a concerted effort to change the messaging from health to the economy.
The president is now holding fewer daily press briefings after members of his inner circle, including his campaign manager Brad Parscale, informed him the rollicking back-and-forths were hurting him with swing voters.
His only briefing this week was on Monday.
He’s allowed new press secretary Kayleigh McEnany to become the face of the administration too, as she held a briefing Tuesday and is scheduled to brief reporters later Friday afternoon.