Axios reports:
Two senior members of former President Trump’s White House coronavirus task force accused former Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in a CNN Special Report, broadcast Sunday, of political interference.
Former CDC chief Robert Redfield told CNN’s Sanjay Gupta what he was “most offended by was the calls” from Azar’s office “that wanted me to pressure and change the MMWR [Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on COVID-19]. He may deny that, but it’s true.”
Former FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn told CNN Azar blocking the FDA’s ability to regulate lab-developed tests “was a line in the sand for me” and he implied that the then-secretary shouted at him over it.
Redfield accuses Azar of trying to interfere with CDC’s COVID report in Trump adminhttps://t.co/qb32H4VOoh
— Axios (@axios) March 29, 2021
Ex-CDC director Robert Redfield publicly said tonight that HHS leaders, including Azar, tried to get him to change his agency’s reports.
“He may deny that, but it’s true,” Redfield told CNN.
Azar and his top deputies did deny it, saying they viewed the reports as “sacrosanct.” https://t.co/ep0xHyISFL
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) March 29, 2021
Former Trump CDC Director Redfield reported being pressured & threatened by Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to change the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that doctors and scientists use for setting health guidelines. #COVID19
https://t.co/HeSUmDy6k1— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) March 29, 2021