Ross: Despite criticism, we can’t blame Dr. Birx for respecting the office
Jan 25, 2021, 6:19 AM | Updated: 10:16 am
Former White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Since the inauguration, not only has Dr. Anthony Fauci been unleashed to speak his mind, so has Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the COVID-19 Task Force. She ended up being defined by 1.5 seconds of audio at that notorious ultraviolet light press conference last April.
“Deborah, have you ever heard of the heat and the light relative to this virus?,” asked then-President Trump.
“Not as a treatment,” she answered.
It sounded like she said, “That is a treatment,” but she actually said, “Not as a treatment,” which is clear when you hear the rest of the answer:
“… I mean, certainly fever is a good thing, when you have a fever — it helps your body respond, but I’ve not seen heat or light,” she continued.
But even properly understood, her pushback came off as way too polite. Dr. Birx told CBS’ Margaret Brennan it was Nancy Pelosi’s reaction that hurt the most.
“I don’t have confidence in anyone who stands there while the president says, ‘Swallow Lysol and it’s going to cure your virus,'” Pelosi said at the time.
In my mind, Dr. Birx is a political hero.
“So that stung,” Brennan said.
“Oh, that was hard,” Birx confirmed.
Dr. Birx says she’s not looking for vindication, but she wants it known that the government needs its non-political career employees more than ever. So please don’t blame them for trying to respect the office, even when the occupant had no idea what he was talking about.
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