Former CDC directors rip Trump for ‘partisan potshots’ and a ‘tragic indictment’ of science

Four former heads of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) blasted President Trump for his administration’s push for in-person schooling to resume in the fall, saying the White House is putting politics over science.

In a Washington Post op-ed, former CDC Directors Tom Frieden, Jeffrey Koplan and David Satcher, as well as former acting CDC head Richard Besser, accuse the administration of undermining the agency’s guidance on reopening schools during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Through last week, and into Monday, the administration continued to cast public doubt on the agency’s recommendations and role in informing and guiding the nation’s pandemic response,” they wrote. “On Sunday, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos characterized the CDC guidelines as an impediment to reopening schools quickly rather than what they are: the path to doing so safely. The only valid reason to change released guidelines is new information and new science — not politics.”

The four co-authors, whose service spans parts of the Obama, Bush and Clinton administrations, wrote that they “cannot recall over our collective tenure a single time when political pressure led to a change in the interpretation of scientific evidence.”

The op-ed lamented “partisan potshots” that the writers say have made scientific advice from experts a political issue, which they blame for failure to follow public health guidelines during the pandemic. They add that this, in turn, has caused the recent spike in infections, leading the U.S. to record the highest number of cases in the world and the sixth-highest rate of infection.

Noting the racial disparities in outcomes for the virus in the U.S., the authors warned the same inequalities could play out in prematurely reopened schools due to “this tragic indictment of our efforts.”

“Trying to fight this pandemic while subverting scientific expertise is like fighting blindfolded. How well and how quickly we adhere to the advice of public health experts at the CDC will determine whether, how soon and how safely our schools can reopen,” they wrote. “It is not too late to give the CDC its proper role in guiding this response. But the clock is ticking.”

CDC guidance for school reopenings calls for safety measures such as at least six feet between desks, no large gatherings and staggered arrival and dismissal times.

“The White House and CDC have been working together in partnership since the very beginning of this pandemic to carry out the President’s highest priority: the health and safety of the American public,” White House spokesman Judd Deere told The Hill in a statement.

“The CDC is the Nation’s trusted health protection agency and its infectious disease and public health experts have helped deliver critical solutions to save lives. We encourage all Americans to continue to follow the CDC’s guidelines and use best-practices they have learned, such as social distancing, face coverings, and good hygiene, to maintain public health and continue our Transition to Greatness.”

Updated at 10:17 a.m.