Fox News reports, “Dr. Rick Bright, who has a Ph.D. in virology and ran the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, reiterated earlier claims that the government was slow to respond to the unfolding pandemic and said the administration was instead worried about politics instead of science. He blamed Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar of not heeding early warning about the virus… Bright told the show that there was a Jan. 23 meeting where he was the only person in the room who said, ‘We’re going to need vaccines and diagnostics and drugs. It’s going to take a while and we need to get started.'”

Bright went on, “I believe my last-ditch effort to protect Americans from that drug was the final straw that they used and believed was essential to push me out. We don’t yet have a national strategy to respond fully to this pandemic. The best scientists that we have in our government who are working really hard to try to figure this out aren’t getting that clear, cohesive leadership, strategic plan message yet. Until they get that, it’s still gonna be chaotic.”

The president responded quickly; he said the liberal program is “doing everything in their power to demean our Country, much to the benefit of the Radical Left Democrats. Tonight they put on yet another Fake ‘Whistleblower,’ a disgruntled employee who supports Dems, fabricates stories & spews lies.”

Fox News: “He called the ’60 Minutes’ report ‘incorrect, which they couldn’t care less about. I don’t know this guy, never met him, but don’t like what I see. How can a creep like this show up to work tomorrow & report to @SecAzar, his boss, after trashing him on T.V.?”

An HHS spokesman commented, “Bright was transferred from his role as BARDA director to lead a bold new $1 billion testing program at NIH, critical to saving lives and reopening America. Mr. Bright has not yet shown up for work, but continues to collect his $285,010 salary, while using his taxpayer-funded medical leave to work with partisan attorneys who are politicizing the response to COVID-19.”

Bright’s lawyers responded, but their statement contradicts the record: “Contrary to administration talking points, Dr. Bright has never refused to report to NIH, and now that his position there has been identified, he plans to begin next week. Dr. Bright is fully prepared to step into this new role unless Secretary Azar honors OSC’s request and grants a stay of his reassignment.” Then why doesn’t he show up for work?

HHS Secretary Azar was not amused, saying, “The president literally did what Bright is saying should be done. This guy was singing in a choir back then of everybody. We were all singing the same tune, and now he’s trying to claim that he was a soloist.”