Sunday, November 27, 2022

I received a call yesterday from Dori Solcido and a similar call last night from Ashish Jha telling me that Ron Klain was upset mostly at Ashish for indicating in interviews that we could expect a mild winter. Ron was concerned that we should not be in the business of predicting lack of severity of COVID for this winter because if we have a bad winter with COVID then confidence in the government would diminish. Ron has a point there, but I'm not sure exactly what Ashish said. According to Dori, the New York Times made it look like Ashish was saying that we don't need to worry very much over the coming winter. I know as a fact that that is not what he said but he is a bit in the doghouse now with Ron because of that. This just goes to show you that no matter what administration you're in there is a great deal of sensitivity about messaging. Sunday shows went very well. Chuck, Margaret and Jonathan were very kind to me. Flurry of activity in the press following my apearances. Fauci says ‘we The Hill (Commenting on my “Face the Nation” appearance): need to keep the politics out of’ investigating COVID origins Fauci pushes The Hill (Commenting on my “Meet the Press” appearance): back on Pence remarks: ‘I don’t align myself with anybody’ Politico (Commenting on my “Face the Nation” appearance): Fauci on Covid lab leak theory: ‘I have a completely open mind’ PRESS: NBC “Meet the Press” with Chuck Todd (Exit interview); CBS “Face the Nation” with Margaret Brennan (Extensive Exit Interview); MSNBC “The Sunday Show” with Jonathan Capehart