Dr. Deborah Birx has confided to aides and friends that she is unhappy with her diminished status as coronavirus task force director and is uncertain how long she can continue in her position, according to sources informing CNN.
Birx has reportedly told those around her that she considers the situation inside the nation’s response to the coronavirus as nightmarish, and she views Dr. Scott Atlas as an unhealthy influence on Trump.
The source says that Birx views Atlas as misleading to the president, and as someone whose views match what the president wants to believe, particularly on the efficacy of face masks.
Atlas disputed the claims of bad blood between himself and Birx in a press conference, saying, “Dr. Birx speaks for herself but that’s a completely false story and she denied it today. It’s completely false.”
Birx has not responded to a request for comment.
Atlas, a neuroradiologist without expertise in infectious diseases, has seen his prominent role on the task force come under some scrutiny as respected medical experts have questioned his controversial flirtation with “herd immunity” as a solution for the outbreak in the US.
James Glassman, a friend of Birx and a former top State Department official during the George W. Bush administration, said that she is attempting to make the best of the situation, ignoring Atlas, and doing her job helping the states with the most problems — telling them the right things about masks, distancing, and returning to school.
Story from CNN.
