Trump versus the scientists: The president’s tug-of-war with experts over coronavirus policy

On Monday, during the daily coronavirus news conference, President Trump tried to drag White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx into bashing the media with him — an entreaty she deftly sidestepped with a smile and talk of how much she had recently learned about “social distancing and respiratory diseases.”

Then on Tuesday, during a Fox News virtual town hall with virus task force members, Trump tried to prod Birx into criticizing New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) for the rapidly growing outbreak of coronavirus cases in his state.

“Do you blame the governor for that?” Trump asked Birx — a question she simply ignored as she continued on with her answer.

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