UNDER ATTACK

Dr. Deborah Birx Says She’ll Retire After ‘Difficult’ Week for Her Family

The head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force came under sharp criticism for traveling to see her family over Thanksgiving.

Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said she plans to retire from civil service, citing attacks on her and her family after the Associated Press revealed she traveled out of state for Thanksgiving, in contravention of CDC advice. She said she will help the incoming Biden administration if needed but will then retire. “This experience has been a bit overwhelming,” she told Newsy on Tuesday. “It’s been very difficult on my family, I think what was done in the last week to my family, you know, they didn’t choose this for me, they’ve tried to be supportive, but to drag my family into this when it’s my daughter hasn’t left that house in 10 months, my parents have been isolated for 10 months, they’ve become deeply depressed as I’m sure many elderly have... My parents haven’t seen their surviving son for over a year. These are all very difficult things.”

Birx, 64, previously denied she traveled to Delaware for Thanksgiving, saying the purpose of the family trip was to prepare a house for a potential sale. She has also been criticized at times for her handling of the task force, and for not pushing back on some of President Trump’s most dangerous claims about the virus.