Scientists reject participation in CDC guideline 0:41
(CNN) ––
President Donald Trump lost patience with the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, for its acronym in English), Dr. Robert Redfield, as well as with other public health experts in your coronavirus response team.
This is because his austere messages about the future of the pandemic collide with the optimistic assessments of the president.
Trump believes that progress does not happen fast enough, according to people close to his considerations.
The president's frustrations have caused some to question whether Redfield is in danger in office.
However, an adviser to the president said no major personnel changes were expected from Trump before the election.
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Officials discuss fallout at CDC for Trump
Employees have pointed out that several factors are affecting the CDC, from top to bottom.
Among those issues are the ever-looming threat and Trump's public disavowals of the CDC director.
Also, Redfield's tendency to bow to the White House.
Some officials have questioned whether their work actually makes a difference.
Meanwhile, others have even considered quitting.
Also, if tempers are down, they may be hampering the response to the pandemic.
Eight officials and former public health officials described to CNN that there is a devastating environment in the agencies in charge of the response to the coronavirus.
Which has been sparked by a president trying to contradict critical public health messages and downplay the threat of the virus.
Add to that the politically motivated pressure from the White House.
Also the unsubstantiated accusations of political appointees that government scientists are involved in an unfair "deep state."
"Morale is lower than ever and we have no confidence in our leadership," said a CDC official.
"People are miserable and it's a shame because this pandemic is still ongoing and we need a strong public health response."
Inside the White House, Drs. Deborah Birx and Anthony Fauci have fought against the growing influence of Dr. Scott Atlas.
This is precisely Trump's new favorite coronavirus adviser: a neuroradiologist, with no experience in public health or infectious diseases, whose opinions are quite different from the leading public health experts.
Birx has told people near her that she is "distraught" with the direction of the coronavirus task force.
She has even mentioned that she is not sure how long she will be able to continue serving as coordinator of that effort.
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Redfield's testimony in Congress
And at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) things are no better.
The agency's top career officials wrote an op-ed in
The Washington Post
earlier this month, reaffirming the agency's independence and commitment to science.
This amid political pressure from the White House and the president's "deep state" accusations.
In a nod to the low mood surrounding his agency, Redfield expressed disappointment during a Senate hearing on Wednesday.
In his speech, he referred to the extreme accusations of the spokesman of the Department of Health (HHS, for its acronym in English) Michael Caputo, who is no longer in office.
Caputo assured that the CDC scientists are part of a "deep state" in "sedition."
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"I want to add, you know, how disappointed I have been personally after people at HHS made comments that they felt there was a deep state at the CDC," Redfield said.
Then he called the comments "offensive."
"Obviously, people do not understand the ability to absorb the energy of people who work 24/7 when they are criticized or unfairly characterized," he continued.
"And really that is the real damage of all this," he added.
However, the CDC director did not mention that Trump also slandered some government scientists as part of a "deep state."
"A growing frustration"
The pressure and disappointment experienced by CDC officials are not isolated.
Health experts and career officials working on the pandemic response across the government share the same sentiments.
“I think this has been a growing frustration for months.
And now it's getting worse, ”said Olivia Troye.
She resigned last month as Vice President Mike Pence's national security adviser.
She did so after months of collaborating with the White House coronavirus task force.
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Troye noted that many of the public health experts he worked with have become demoralized.
This is due to the endless work they face, he said, combined with the actions of the president and the White House to undermine the situation.
"It is incredibly difficult to dedicate your life's work to a greater mission on behalf of the American people, and to be completely ignored by the White House and people in high office," Troye said.
And it hasn't happened just once, it has happened endlessly.
Redfield's comments in his congressional testimony only touched the surface of the deep malaise within his own agency.
A sentiment fueled, in part, by how he has run the CDC and has come under pressure from Trump.
In addition to the errors that occurred under his supervision.
Several blows to the CDC, amid Trump's criticism
Recently, coups against the CDC have occurred at a dizzying pace.
Last month, under the direction of the White House test czar, the CDC changed the guidelines for coronavirus testing.
The updated guide to discourage some asymptomatic people from getting tested despite mounting evidence that these individuals spread the virus.
The decision was harshly criticized by public health experts, both inside and outside the government.
Amid the controversy, the CDC reversed the pattern last week.
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Redfield also lost the trust of some members of his agency.
In part, because he has repeatedly yielded to pressure from the White House and public reprimands from the president himself.
That same Wednesday, hours later and from the White House podium, Redfield was again contradicted.
This time it was Atlas.
A federal health official said Redfield "outwardly" did not express "any frustration."
Just last week, Redfield retracted his blunt, science-based comments on two key issues: the importance of masks and the time to get a vaccine.
His rectification came after Trump publicly contradicted the CDC director and claimed he had made a mistake.
Some CDC sources said the director has been careful to follow the White House political line.
Meanwhile, two senior officials called him an "ineffective communicator."
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Back on Capitol Hill this week, Redfield faced questions about a new controversy.
This time it was the removal of a new guideline on airborne transmission of the virus that, according to the agency, was published without being properly reviewed.
An affected morale
"I think the staff is feeling pretty depressed," a veteran CDC official told CNN.
"We take pride in serving the American people and being accused of sedition or mistrust affects us."
While morale at the agency is hit, added this official, they have not heard anyone express a lesser commitment to doing the right thing and continuing to try to save lives.
But mistakes, overrides from the White House, and what some called Redfield's "ineffective" leadership are taking a practical price.
Which makes some CDC officials reluctant to rotate in the incident management structure for the coronavirus response.
A previously coveted rotation area at the agency.
The situation stems from concerns about how the response is being handled and a sense of worthlessness among some, an official said.
"Why spend so much time trying to do something that the government is not going to listen to or pay attention to?" Said this official.
A public health professional with 14 years of experience told CNN that she felt anxious to go to work every day.
She added that this has led her to seek help for her mental health.
The employee, who was visibly upset during her interview with CNN, said she sometimes felt embarrassed about working at the CDC and often thinks about quitting.
«There is no compassion, there is no understanding.
It's a 'don't complain' culture, ”said the public health official.
CNN's Jim Acosta contributed to this report.
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