Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus response, says she intends to ultimately retire.
She made her comments during an interview with Newsy’s Amber Strong, who tweeted a video excerpt on Tuesday.
“I want the Biden administration to be successful," Birx said. "I’ve worked since 1980 in the federal government, first through the military, then through [the Department of Health and Human Services], and then detailed to the State Department and detailed here, where I hope I was helpful. I will be helpful in any role people think I can be helpful in, and then I will retire."
Birx said her decision to step down was sparked by the treatment of her family after it was reported that she traveled for Thanksgiving to a vacation property on Fenwick Island in Delaware.
According to the Washington Examiner, Birx had insisted the purpose of the weekend trip wasn’t for “celebrating Thanksgiving” but did acknowledge she shared a meal with family when she was there.
“I will be helpful through a period of time, and then I will have to say this experience has been a bit overwhelming," she told Strong. "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.
“You know, they’ve tried to be supportive, but to drag my family into this, when my daughter hasn’t left that house in 10 months, my parents have been isolated for 10 months, they’ve become deeply depressed.”
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