Pelosi: 'I don't have confidence' in Dr. Birx
Politico reported Friday that, while in a closed-door meeting last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx "the worst," accused her of spreading disinformation, and told Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows she believes they're in "horrible hands."
ABC's Martha Raddatz asked Pelosi about the incident on Sunday's edition of This Week. Pelosi didn't confirm or deny the report, but she maintained her criticism of Birx, albeit less directly. Pelosi told Raddatz that she believes it's President Trump who is spreading disinformation about the pandemic, but since Birx is his appointee, she's entangled in the situation either way.
JUST IN: “I think the president has been spreading disinformation about the virus and she is his appointee so, I don’t have confidence there, no,” Speaker Pelosi tells @MarthaRaddatz when asked is she has confidence in Dr. Deborah Birx. https://t.co/HNQgCe39RN pic.twitter.com/ZDZYAjr0cJ
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) August 2, 2020
Birx apparently didn't want to get involved in a running feud with the speaker, however, and instead complimented her tenure when asked about Pelosi's reported comments.
After House Speaker Pelosi said she didn't have confidence in her, Dr. Birx tells @DanaBashCNN, "I have tremendous respect for the speaker" and disputes account of her in the NYT. "I have never been called Pollyannish or non-scientific or non-data driven."
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) August 2, 2020
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