WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

‘The whole country is cooked’: Trump orders health agencies to stop communicating with public

If you were worried about your health, stay worried! The FDA, CDC, and other governing bodies aren’t about to update you on any diseases! Gotta love America.

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President Donald Trump reportedly paused announcements from health organizations. In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, it is reported that Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Dorothy Fink issued to put an immediate pause on “regulations, guidance, announcements, press releases, social media posts and website posts until such communications had been approved by a political appointee.”

Meaning that until approved, organizations like CDC, the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration are on pause effective until February 1. Which is not something we WANT to happen. Not because of the unlikelihood that another pandemic happens in the next two weeks but if anything is recalled or the public needs to be aware not to do something, these organizations are not allowed to tell us.

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Fink reportedly said in the memo that “critical health, safety, environmental, financial or nation security functions” would be reported but they would be subject to review as well. Meaning that it would be up to the government what American citizens were aware of.

The Associated Press piece stated that pausing things like this with a new administration is not rare. But the difference here is that it reportedly happens by inauguration day. Not after it. Steve Grossman, a consultant for food companies, said the following via AP: “The executive branch is a hierarchy. Whether stated publicly or not, every new administration wants important commitments and positions to wait until new teams are in place and some semblance of hierarchy restored.”

Others, like Dr. Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, talked about how the pause on notifying the public could result in a dangerous situation for Americans. “When it comes to stopping outbreaks, every second counts,” Lurie said in a statement. “Confusion around the vaguely worded gag order is likely to lead to unnecessary delay in publishing urgent public alerts during active outbreaks.”

For now, the order is only in place until February 1 but it is terrifying to know that we are currently at the whims of whoever decides it is okay for the FDA and the CDC to tell us something.


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