As Deaths Mount, White House Tries To Dismantle Pandemic Task Force
The White House confirmed today that the Mike Pence-led coronavirus task force charged with leading this nation's pandemic response will soon be disbanding, with its work redistributed among federal agencies. The timing is peculiar: According to the administration's own projections, COVID-19 deaths are expected to rise significantly in coming weeks after Republican-leaning states push to "reopen" businesses and public spaces despite expert warnings that the pandemic is continuing to accelerate.
The Pence-led task force was, from the beginning, a political rather than emergency-premised effort. Appearances and public statements by government pandemic experts were routed through the "task force" after Trump reportedly became irate over blunt public warnings of the potential scope of the pandemic; the task force held no other evident powers.
In today's pandemic news: