Pelosi Hits Dr. Birx Again: She Has ‘Enabled’ Trump to Share Misinformation

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is doubling down on her criticism of White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx for not challenging President Donald Trump over his false or misleading statements about the coronavirus.

During an appearance on CNN on Monday, Pelosi was asked about her criticism of Birx.

The House speaker said she had a discussion with members of the administration over the weekend on efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus. And she claimed that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows argued that “tracing isn’t a valuable thing; ‘we shouldn’t do it.’”

She continued:

“And I said, ‘Well that’s not what most scientists say.’ And they said, ‘Well, we’ll bring a scientist to say that.’ I said, ‘Well, make sure it’s not Dr. Birx,’ because I don’t have confidence in anyone who stands there while the President says, ‘Swallow Lysol, and it’s going to cure your virus.’”

“You know, it will kill you, and you won’t have the virus anymore,” she added.

CNN’s Jim Sciutto interjected to ask, “So you’re saying she hasn’t challenged the president’s disinformation enough?”

“Well, she stood there.  I think that she has … that she has enabled,” Pelosi said, adding, “There has to be some responsibility, so if the president’s saying these things, who’s advising him that this is okay and enabling that to happen?”