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FYI: The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports are written by career scientists and serve as the main vehicle for the agency to inform doctors, researchers and the general public about how Covid-19 is spreading and who's at risk.
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) https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/11/exclusive-trump-officials-interfered-with-cdc-reports-on-covid-19-412809
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) https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/11/exclusive-trump-officials-interfered-with-cdc-reports-on-covid-19-412809
But ever since Michael Caputo, an ex-Trump campaign official with no medical or scientific background, became the health department's new spokesperson, there have been efforts to align these reports with Trump's statements or stop them altogether. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/11/exclusive-trump-officials-interfered-with-cdc-reports-on-covid-19-412809
Caputo's team has tried to add caveats to the CDC's findings, including trying to retroactively change reports that they said wrongly inflated Covid-19's risks and should have made clear that Americans may have been infected because of their own behavior https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/11/exclusive-trump-officials-interfered-with-cdc-reports-on-covid-19-412809
They've also tried to stop the release of some CDC reports, including one that addressed hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug favored by Trump as a treatment despite little evidence.
The report was held for about month. It finally published last week. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/11/exclusive-trump-officials-interfered-with-cdc-reports-on-covid-19-412809
The report was held for about month. It finally published last week. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/11/exclusive-trump-officials-interfered-with-cdc-reports-on-covid-19-412809
In one clash, an aide berated CDC scientists for attempting to use the reports to “hurt the President.”
“CDC to me appears to be writing hit pieces on the administration,” Paul Alexander wrote in an 8/8 email to CDC Director Redfield and other officials https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/11/exclusive-trump-officials-interfered-with-cdc-reports-on-covid-19-412809
“CDC to me appears to be writing hit pieces on the administration,” Paul Alexander wrote in an 8/8 email to CDC Director Redfield and other officials https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/11/exclusive-trump-officials-interfered-with-cdc-reports-on-covid-19-412809
CDC officials have fought the efforts to retroactively change reports but have increasingly allowed Caputo and his team to review them before publication.
Caputo has said that HHS was appropriately reviewing the reports.
Read our full investigation: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/11/exclusive-trump-officials-interfered-with-cdc-reports-on-covid-19-412809
Caputo has said that HHS was appropriately reviewing the reports.
Read our full investigation: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/11/exclusive-trump-officials-interfered-with-cdc-reports-on-covid-19-412809
