President Donald Trump is once again contradicting members of his own virus task force on Twitter, but this time his target isn't Dr. Anthony Fauci.
In fact, it's Dr. Deborah Birx, who's demonstrated a greater hesitation to publicly contradict the President's often misguided or incorrect observations about the state of the pandemic in the U.S.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reportedly criticized Dr. Birx in closed door negotiations with Republicans regarding the next virus relief package. The Speaker said that the White House was in "horrible hands" with Birx's role in the response task force.
She later said in an interview with ABC that she does not have confidence in Birx.
Birx's tune changed in a weekend interview on CNN.
Dr. Deborah Birx says we are in a “new phase" of the pandemic: “What we are seeing today is different from March and April. It's extraordinarily widespread... it's more widespread and it's both rural and urban." https://t.co/Z3zEHwLBLq #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/PWlmxzt6SL
— CNN (@CNN) August 2, 2020
Birx said:
"What we are seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread. It's into the rural as equal urban areas. And to everybody who lives in a rural area, you are not immune or protected from this virus, and that's why we keep saying that no matter where you live in America, you need to wear a mask and socially distance...This epidemic right now is different and it's more widespread and it's both rural and urban."
This ran contradictory to Trump's frequent claim that despite upticks in new cases, the virus is under control.
He accused Birx of taking Pelosi's "bait" on Twitter.
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
People disputed Trump's claim that the United States was doing a "very good job," and many of them thought the blame lay with Trump as well as Birx.
The only way we could say the a Trump administration has handled the Coronavirus pandemic well is if the goal had been to kill Americans.
The US has more than a quarter of all Covid-19 cases in the world. pic.twitter.com/oWHuKvPJ0j
— Jesse Damiani (@JesseDamiani) August 3, 2020
157,000 dead and the economy utterly destroyed a not a very good job no matter how much you lie and spin.
— God (@thegoodgodabove) August 3, 2020
You're doing a very good job in your own mind. In the real world: Absolute. Total. Disaster. https://t.co/90YxCNenQk
— Richard Hine (@richardhine) August 3, 2020
The only reason you're going after Birx now is because she can no longer hide the truth: that the pandemic is out is control. No school openings, further erosion of the economy, and more importantly, thousands more dead.
— 𝓞𝔀𝓷𝓡𝓾𝓵𝓮𝓼 (@OwnRules) August 3, 2020
What good job? 158,000 DEAD 4,800,000 cases.
In what world is that a good job
— lost in space (@Mariofupadboard) August 3, 2020
Trump once again referred to the virus as the "China Virus," whose usage in the Oval Office has correlated with increased attacks against Asian Americans.
Asian Americans have been physically assaulted and you're calling this strain that came from Europe the "China Virus."
Your father attended a Klan rally. You're following in his footsteps.
— JRehling (@JRehling) August 3, 2020
*TrumpVirus. Get it right.
— Sandi (@hotpinkcubsgirl) August 3, 2020
Correction, TRUMP VIRUS.
— Rob (@rcn400) August 3, 2020
Havent you heard? It's the Trump virus now. Now, I know a graph is a hard thing to read but remember than when it comes to Covid19, when it goes up, it's bad. And 19 stands for the year... don't forget, it was so embarrassing last time.
— rhinotekus (@rhinotekus) August 3, 2020
Birx, nor any other public health official, has appeared in Trump's most recent virus response briefings.
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U.S. Mint