Trump appointees pushing to review, change CDC materials before publication: report

The health department’s politically-appointed communications aides have demanded the right to review and seek changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) weekly scientific reports on the status of the coronavirus pandemic, Politico reported Saturday.

Emails reviewed by Politico and three people reportedly familiar with the situation indicated that communications aides openly complained in emails to CDC Director Robert Redfield and other senior officials that the agency’s reports would undermine President Trump's optimistic messaging about COVID-19.

Politico reported that its three sources said CDC officials have resisted most of the changes proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) but that the CDC has increasingly agreed to allow politically-appointed officials to review reports and, in a few cases, alter the wording in the documents.