Birx tells CBS her COVID-era criticism persists after Fauci Senate hearing

Deborah Birx, who previously served as the White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator, said the public’s “persistent anger” about the federal COVID-19 response continues to show up after former chief White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci testified before a U.S. Senate committee this week. Birx made the remarks in an interview that aired Monday on CBS News’s “The Takeout.”

In the interview, Birx pointed to what she described as a lack of resolution in the questions raised during the hearing. She said the hearing reflected frustration from Americans about “questions not being answered,” characterizing the moment as a continuation of longstanding complaints that the government’s COVID-19 communications and decision-making process did not provide clear explanations to the public, The Hill reported.

Birx’s comments came in the context of scrutiny that continues around COVID-19 policy decisions made during the Trump and Biden administrations and around the testimonies of senior officials. Fauci, who became a central figure in public-facing COVID guidance during previous years, has continued to be called to appear before lawmakers seeking information about the federal government’s handling of the pandemic.

The CBS interview framed the hearing as more than a narrow exchange of questions and answers, with Birx saying that the emotional reaction she has observed among members of the public is still tied to the same theme: that unanswered concerns have endured. According to The Hill’s report, her remarks suggested that public frustration is being carried forward rather than resolved by the hearing itself.

Birx, who also has had a prominent public role since her time inside the White House COVID response structure, has previously discussed aspects of COVID-era actions and communications. In the Monday interview, her focus was on public perception and the extent to which hearings, in her view, have addressed what she said Americans want to know.

It was not immediately clear from the report what specific questions or document issues Fauci faced during the hearing, or what responses he provided for each point raised. The Hill’s account focused on Birx’s characterization of the hearing’s broader reception, rather than on any new legal, administrative, or policy actions resulting from the testimony.