Vox Sentences - The White House's CDC takeover

The White House installs political operatives at the CDC; a former Mexican defense minister is arrested in the US.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Benjamin Rosenberg.

• A new Associated Press report says two White House political operatives are working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to attempt to control the information the agency releases related to the Covid-19 pandemic, as President Donald Trump’s administration looks to downplay the severity. [AP / Jason Dearen, Mike Stobbe, and Richard Lardner]
• Both arrived at the CDC without clear assignments, and neither had any public health background beforehand. Nina Witkofsky was named the CDC’s acting chief of staff, with Chester “Trey” Moeller as her deputy. [Daily Beast / Barbie Latza Nadeau]
• According to emails and other internal government documents obtained by ProPublica, the Trump administration has taken control of the CDC’s messaging, turning the agency into a political tool to advance the Trump agenda. [ProPublica / James Bandler, Patricia Callahan, Sebastian Rotella, and Kirsten Berg]
• White House advisers have made detailed edits to CDC health guidance, from recommendations for religious gatherings to social distancing in bars and restaurants. In May, Trump successfully pressured CDC Director Robert Redfield to declare places of worship essential services. [WSJ / Rebecca Ballhaus, Stephanie Armour, and Betsy McKay]
• Just as the full extent of the pandemic was becoming known in March, Trump’s hard-line immigration adviser Stephen Miller had the CDC use its quarantine powers to stop migrants from coming across the US-Mexico border. [The Week / Peter Weber]
• In August, the CDC came under fire for publishing guidance discouraging people from getting tested for Covid-19. Reporting by the New York Times later revealed that Trump officials had actually published that guidance over CDC scientists’ objections. [Business Insider / Bill Bostock]
• Last month, a CDC order that would have required all passengers and employees to wear masks on all forms of public transportation was blocked by the White House. Redfield has said masks are “the most powerful weapon we have to confront Covid.” [NYT / Sheila Kaplan]
• The White House also ignored CDC guidance with regards to its own coronavirus outbreak. The CDC recommends that anyone who has had close contact with someone infected with Covid-19 should get a test and quarantine for 14 days, but federal officials have defied those guidelines. [Vox / German Lopez]