The Real Reason Dr. Deborah Birx Plans To Retire

As White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx holds an essential role in the Trump administration. She became a familiar face to the public in February 2020 when Vice President Mike Pence appointed her to the position, with Birx appearing at daily televised coronavirus briefings alongside President Donald Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci. She later became a household name — and a brief viral sensation — after the cameras caught her reaction to Trump's suggestion that coronavirus be treated with disinfectant.

Birx is a world-renowned global health official and a retired U.S. Army physician who was instrumental in early HIV/AIDS vaccine research. According to her Department of State bio, her long career has focused on HIV/AIDS immunology, vaccine research, and global health.

Birx also served as the director of the CDC's Division of Global HIV/AIDS for nine years before becoming the U.S. Department of State's Ambassador at Large, as well as the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator in 2014. All of this experience led her to land the Coronavirus Response Coordinator gig in 2020.

Although many would argue that Dr. Birx has a lot left to offer, on December 22nd, she announced her plans to retire — after Trump leaves office in January 2021. So why is she on her way out? Well, in a December 2020 interview with Newsy, Birx revealed more about her decision to retire from her position, but gave no specifics on a timeline of when that will happen. Birx explained:

"I've worked since 1980 in the federal government, first through the military, then through HHS and then detailed to the State Department and detailed here."

During the interview, Birx said that she will make herself available to the Biden administration regardless of her plans. She said:

"I want the Biden administration to be successful. I will be helpful in any role that people think I can be helpful in and then I will retire."

Although Birx made no other public statement following her announcement, she did confirm the news to Politico by text, telling the outlet:

"I want to ensure the transition goes well, meaning I will stay as long as needed and then retire."

The timing of Birx's announcement is interesting, however, considering it closely followed a report by the Associated Press that she traveled out of state for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, which contradicted the CDC's recommendation urging Americans not to travel for the holidays.

Birx was joined on the Thanksgiving trip by her husband, daughter, and son-in-law, as well as her two grandchildren. She told the AP that the purpose of the trip was to deal with the so-called "winterization of the property." Birx stated:

"I did not go to Delaware for the purpose of celebrating Thanksgiving."

She added that everyone there was part of her immediate household, but also admitted that they live in different homes, and that her family shared a meal while in Delaware. Birx reiterated her explanation in a statement to CBS, saying:

"My trip to Delaware after the Thanksgiving holiday solely focused on preparing the property for a potential sale. Members of my immediate household assisted in that as well."

She also stressed that she adhered to all the CDC guidelines during her trip, saying:

"As some members of my immediate family could be at risk for COVID-19, I am extremely vigilant in taking all precautions to protect them. [...] My family and I follow and practice CDC guidelines, and I encourage all Americans, especially those in situations similar to mine, to do the same."

Speaking about her Thanksgiving trip, Birx told Newsy that the AP story took a toll on herself and her family. She said:

"This experience has been a bit overwhelming. 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."

It's easy to imagine that the stresses of Birx's role on her family may be taking a toll on her, that the Thanksgiving scandal certainly didn't help things — and that she's greatly looking forward to her impending retirement.

#DeborahBirx #COVID19

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