Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator, offered a response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) criticism of her and the Trump administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Dana Bash, Birx noted her respect for Pelosi as she defended her work and the Trump administration’s coronavirus response.
“I have tremendous respect for the speaker, and I have tremendous respect for her long dedication to the American people,” Birx said on Sunday.
Although Pelosi accused Birx and the Trump administration of “spreading disinformation,” the infectious disease expert insists she has never been “nonscientific or non-data driven.”
“I have never been called pollyannish, or nonscientific, or non-data driven,” Birx said. “And I will stake my 40-year career on those fundamental principles of utilizing data to really implement better programs to save more lives.”
See Birx’s remarks below:
Dr. Birx responds to Pelosi: "I have tremendous respect for the speaker … it was unfortunate that New York Times wrote this article without speaking to me … I have never been called Pollyannaish, or non-scientific, nor non-data-driven." pic.twitter.com/nBoOi0V65i
— The Recount (@therecount) August 2, 2020
Birx’s remarks came just hours after Pelosi’s interview with ABC News’ Martha Raddatz. During their discussion, the top-ranking Democrat insisted she has no confidence in the administration’s ability to provide accurate information for the American people, as previously reported on IJR.
“I think the president is spending — spreading disinformation about the virus and she is his — she is his appointee,” Pelosi said on Sunday. “So, I don’t have confidence there, no.”
See Pelosi’s remarks below:
"I think the president is spreading disinformation about the virus and she's his appointee. So I don't have confidence there, no." — Pelosi says she doesn't have confidence in Dr. Birx pic.twitter.com/EyPV3MhyIN
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 2, 2020
As Birx and Pelosi clash on the White House’s handling of the coronavirus, states all across the country continue to face upticks in coronavirus cases.
According to Birx, the country appears to have entered a “new phase” of the coronavirus outbreak, as IJR reported. She also insisted that the current situation differs vastly from the outbreak the United States faced at the beginning of the pandemic.
“What we’re seeing today is different from March and April,” Birx told Bash on Sunday. “It is extraordinarily widespread.”
The United States has over 4.8 million reported coronavirus cases, with more than 158,000 deaths due to the virus and over 2.3 million recoveries, as of Monday morning.
