Trump adviser pleads for 'more aggressive action' against virus as president downplays threat
Lena H. Sun and Josh Dawsey, The Washington Post
Photo: Alex Brandon, AP
Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator, speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Tuesday, April 21, 2020, in Washington.
WASHINGTON - A top White House coronavirus adviser sounded alarms Monday about a new and deadly phase in the health crisis, pleading with top administration officials for "much more aggressive action" even as President Donald Trump continues to assure rallygoers that the nation is "rounding the turn" on the pandemic.
"We are entering the most concerning and most deadly phase of this pandemic . . . leading to increasing mortality," said the Monday report from Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force. "This is not about lockdowns - It hasn't been about lockdowns since March or April. It's about an aggressive balanced approach that is not being implemented."
Birx's internal report, shared with top White House and agency officials, contradicts Trump on numerous points: While the president holds large campaign events with hundreds of attendees, most without masks, she explicitly warns against them. While the president blames rising cases on more testing, she says testing is "flat or declining" in many areas where cases are rising. And while Trump says the country is "rounding the turn," Birx notes that the country is entering its most dangerous period yet and will see more than 100,000 new cases a day this week.
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