{"slug":"trump-cdc-fda-political-interference-covid","title":"CDC and FDA Political Interference: Science Overridden for Political Messaging","date":"2020-07-07","lastUpdated":"2020-10-01","description":"Multiple documented instances of the Trump White House interfering with scientific guidance from the CDC and FDA during the COVID-19 pandemic: the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports were reviewed and altered by political appointees; CDC guidance on school reopening was replaced after Trump publicly criticized the original; the FDA was pressured over Emergency Use Authorizations; and CDC officials were instructed not to contradict the president's public statements. The political interference was documented by CDC scientists and public health officials who went public or testified.","summary":"The Washington Post and New York Times documented a pattern of White House interference with CDC scientific publications. CDC reports in the MMWR — the agency's flagship peer-reviewed publication that had never previously been subject to political review — were reviewed and in some cases altered by Michael Caputo, a political appointee installed at HHS with no public health credentials. Caputo was later placed on leave after a Facebook video in which he accused CDC scientists of a 'resistance unit' against Trump. CDC Director Redfield testified that CDC school reopening guidance was replaced after Trump tweeted that it was 'very tough and expensive.' The FDA's hydroxychloroquine EUA and convalescent plasma approval were both accompanied by documented political pressure.","category":"rule-of-law","severity":"critical","ongoing":false,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/12/health/trump-cdc-reports-politics.html","title":"Health Officials Say the White House Manipulated C.D.C. Reports on the Virus","publisher":"The New York Times"},{"url":"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/cdc-scientists-say-political-pressure/2020/09/11/e66f7b22-f46e-11ea-bc45-e5d48ab44b9f_story.html","title":"CDC scientists say political pressure from Trump officials compromised their work","publisher":"The Washington Post"},{"url":"https://apnews.com/article/trump-cdc-fda-political-interference-covid","title":"Trump administration interference in CDC scientific publications","publisher":"The Associated Press"},{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/13/health/cdc-mmwr-covid.html","title":"Emails Show Extent of Trump Administration Manipulation of C.D.C. Reports","publisher":"The New York Times"}],"draft":false,"status":"published","tags":["CDC","FDA","COVID","science-interference","first-term","public-health","Caputo"],"relatedEntries":[],"timeline":[{"date":"2020-07-07","title":"White House installs Caputo at HHS — no public health credentials","summary":"Michael Caputo, a former Russian communications consultant and Trump campaign adviser with no public health background, is installed as HHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs with oversight of HHS communications including CDC."},{"date":"2020-08-01","title":"CDC asymptomatic testing guidance reversed without Redfield's knowledge","summary":"CDC guidance is revised to no longer recommend testing for asymptomatic exposed individuals — a change Redfield later testified he was not notified about before publication and that contradicted scientific consensus."},{"date":"2020-09-11","title":"Political review of MMWR reports documented","summary":"Reports from multiple CDC scientists and internal emails document that HHS political appointees were reviewing and requesting changes to MMWR scientific publications — a practice with no historical precedent at the agency."},{"date":"2020-09-13","title":"Caputo Facebook video: CDC 'resistance unit' claim","summary":"Caputo posts a video accusing CDC scientists of forming a 'resistance unit' against Trump and saying CDC 'doesn't want America to get well' until after the election. He is placed on indefinite leave."},{"date":"2020-10-01","title":"Emails documenting interference released","summary":"News organizations obtain emails from Caputo and Paul Alexander documenting specific requests to alter CDC reports to avoid contradicting Trump's messaging, including requests to add caveats and delay publications."}],"location":{"name":"Washington, D.C.","lat":38.9072,"lng":-77.0369},"custom":{"era":"first-term","posture":"reported","warCrimeClassification":"enabling","internationalLaw":[],"iccRelevance":false,"victims":"Americans who received inaccurate or politically-filtered public health guidance during a pandemic; public trust in scientific institutions; public health infrastructure","structuredPerpetrators":[{"name":"Donald Trump","role":"President; publicly attacked CDC guidance, pressured FDA on approvals, created environment in which political appointees interfered with scientific communications","institution":"White House"},{"name":"Michael Caputo","role":"HHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs; no public health background; reviewed and sought changes to CDC MMWR reports; accused CDC scientists of 'resistance unit'","institution":"U.S. Department of Health and Human Services"},{"name":"Paul Alexander","role":"Caputo's scientific advisor; no epidemiological credentials; sought retrospective changes to MMWR publications and attempted to shape CDC guidance","institution":"HHS / CDC interface"}],"updateLog":[{"date":"2020-10-01","summary":"Updated with released emails documenting interference."}]}}