Vice President Mike Pence's office is reportedly now in charge of overseeing all government messaging related to the coronavirus.
People familiar with the matter told The New York Times government health officials and scientists will have to clear public statements and appearances about the coronavirus with the vice president’s office. They said the policy is not meant to control what officials are saying, but to better streamline communication within the Trump administration. They also said the focus will be more on TV appearances than on particular news releases.
President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that Pence would lead the president's Coronavirus Task Force. On Thursday, Pence appointed Debbie Birx, the U.S. global AIDS coordinator, to serve as the White House coronavirus response coordinator. He also announced that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams and National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow were joining the task force.
