Trump’s Appointed Officials changes CDC Documents for Political Gain
Communication officials from the Department of Health and Human Services propelled to change the science reports released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to not undercut President Trump’s political message on the Coronavirus.
Chief Health and Human Services spokesman, Michael Caputo, demanded to see the science reports from the CDC before they were released to the public, based on an unknown senior administration official. The Department of HHS excused this demand by saying that they had more power over the CDC and believed the documents needed to be cleared by them. HHS political appointee, Paul Alexander has also added his own political contribution to the reports on the coronavirus plan.
An unknown federal official believes that the interference of the CDC reports was to not contradict President Trump’s message on the virus.
According to Caputo, “Our intention is to make sure that evidence, science-based data drives policy through this pandemic — not ulterior deep state motives in the bowels of CDC.”
It was also mentioned by the federal official that there have been intentions during the summer by the HHS to not release the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports, which focus on recent information of the coronavirus. The Trump Administration and the HHS have faced criticism for trying to change the reports for political gain instead of focusing on the wellbeing of U.S. citizens during the pandemic.
Kate Bedingfield, Joe Biden’s deputy campaign manager, stated that it is, “further proof that the Trump Administration has been systematically putting political optics ahead of the safety of the American people.”
According to Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and an advisor to the CDC, he is, “deeply distressed by the reports of political interference and editing of MMWR scientific communications related to the COVID-19 pandemic.”