The Department of Health and Human Services launched a $300 million advertising campaign called “Defeating Despair” to promote the Trump administration’s COVID-19 response, with the effort conceived by political appointee Michael Caputo and timed to air before the November …
Michael CaputoDonald TrumpDennis QuaidCeCe WinansAlex Azarhatch actethics violationsabuse of officecampaign financecovid-19+3 more
President Trump declared COVID-19 a national emergency on March 13, 2020—approximately six weeks after Health Secretary Alex Azar had declared it a public health emergency—finally acknowledging the severity of a pandemic he had spent weeks downplaying and dismissing as a Democratic …
Donald TrumpAlex AzarMike Pencecovid-19public healthaccountability crisisfederal response
President Trump visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta on March 6, 2020, wearing his red “Keep America Great” campaign hat and delivering a chaotic, politically charged performance that included false claims about testing availability, attacks on …
Donald TrumpRobert RedfieldAlex AzarMike PenceJay Insleecovid-19public healthhatch actdisinformationaccountability crisis
On January 24, 2018, the Senate confirmed Alex Azar as Secretary of Health and Human Services by a vote of 55-43, installing as the nation’s top healthcare regulator a pharmaceutical executive who had overseen dramatic insulin price increases during his decade at Eli Lilly. As President of …
Alex AzarEli LillyDepartment of Health and Human ServicesRon WydenDonald Trumprevolving-doorregulatory-capturehealthcarepharmaceutical-industryinsulin-pricing+3 more