Trump rejects reports that he will fire HHS chief Azar

[webfact]

Trump rejects reports that he will fire HHS chief Azar

 

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks prior to signing the "Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act," approving additional coronavirus disease (COVID-19) relief for the U.S. economy and hospitals treating people sickened by the pandemic, during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday rejected reports that he was planning to fire Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, saying he was doing an "excellent job."

 

On Saturday, the Wall Street Journal and Politico reported that the Trump administration was considering replacing Azar, because of early missteps in the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

"Reports that H.H.S. Secretary @AlexAzar is going to be “fired” by me are Fake News," Trump tweeted. "Alex is doing an excellent job."

 

The Journal, citing six people familiar with the discussions, reported that frustration with Azar was growing but the administration was reluctant to make big changes while the country was seeking to stop the virus, which has killed more than 53,000 people in the United States and infected nearly 1 million.

 

A White House spokesman, Judd Deere, had denied the reports on Saturday and said the HHS under Azar continued to lead on a number of the president's priorities.

 

Reuters reported last week that Azar, a 52-year-old lawyer and former drug industry executive, tapped a trusted aide with minimal public health experience to lead the agency’s day-to-day response to COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The aide had run a dog-breeding business before joining the department.

 

Two agencies overseen by Azar as HHS secretary - the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration - were unable to come up with viable tests for 5-1/2 weeks, even as other countries and the World Health Organization had already prepared their own.

 

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-27

 

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[cornishcarlos]

2 minutes ago, webfact said:

Azar, a 52-year-old lawyer and former drug industry executive

 

Do you think he might still have contacts with former drug industry ?? 

[RJRS1301]

Ok hope he has packed his office, and ready with the removalists  to go to a more predictable quieter life.

His letter of resignation is now active I guess since DJT denied the rumour 

Edited April 27, 2020 by RJRS1301

[Langsuan Man]

Of course President Trump is going to deny the reports, he only likes surprises, so this announcement was just to get Azar ready for the inevitable

 

Trump will not share the stage with anyone that is stupider than he is; never before have we seen a president gleefully race to the bottom  

[samran]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Azar, a 52-year-old lawyer and former drug industry executive, tapped a trusted aide with minimal public health experience to lead the agency’s day-to-day response to COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The aide had run a dog-breeding business before joining the department.

Another example of draining the swamp....and filling it with sewerage.

 

#MAGA

[stevenl]

Policy wise, what exactly has Azar done and what has he neglected to do?

[Tug]

Only the best people only the best no sir not by a long shot no one wants to work for trump I can’t blame them who wants to be humiliated by that man

[samran]

4 hours ago, stevenl said:

Policy wise, what exactly has Azar done and what has he neglected to do?

He needs to fulfil one final role as has  come to be expected - being thrown under a bus for the Donald’s failures...

 

#MAGA

Edited April 27, 2020 by samran

[marko kok prong]

The dreaded vote of confidence as often given to Football managers a few days before being sacked.

[LawrenceN]

6 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

Of course President Trump is going to deny the reports, he only likes surprises, so this announcement was just to get Azar ready for the inevitable

Just means he hasn't decided exactly when yet. Some time in the next week he'll get out on the wrong side of  the bed, looking for someone to blame. He'll announce by tweet that Mr. Azar is pursuing other opportunities. Bye-bye Azar. 

[metisdead]

A post using a trolling image has been removed. 

[metisdead]

A post with a link to a trolling YouTube video has been removed. 

[Sir Swagman]

“Trump will not share the stage with anyone that is stupider than he is;...”

 

not possible

[Paul Henry]

This whole report MUST be fake news.Trump claims the USA was organised and on top of the pandemic before it broke. So Azar could not have stuffed up as Donald says the controls on the outbreak were perfect like his Ukraine letter.