Deborah Birx says she was ‘paralysed’ during Trump’s rant about injecting disinfectant

Birx faced criticism for not speaking out against Trump’s misinformation about Covid-19

Dr Deborah Birx, White House Covid response coordinator for Donald Trump, says in a new interview that she felt “paralysed” in front of the cameras after her ex-boss suggested injecting disinfectants like bleach to kill the Covid-19 virus.

She spoke with Good Morning America in a wide-ranging interview published on Monday as part of her media tour for the promotion of her new book detailing her time in the Trump administration. Her book release follows a long line of similar publications from ex-Trump administration officials, mostly political appointees unlike Dr Birx, who have sought to capitalise on the allure of an “inside look” into the chaotic inner workings of the government under Mr Trump’s leadership.

Her interview is the first time she has addressed the now-infamous comments from Mr Trump made in the spring of 2020 while flanked by health experts like Dr Birx and Dr Anthony Fauci suggesting that common household disinfectants could be used by doctors to treat the virus via injections.

“I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute,” Mr Trump mused at a press conference in April of 2020. “And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in the lungs, and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that.”

The suggestion was downright dangerous, as injecting such cleaners could cause serious medical issues to arise.

In her remarks to ABC News’s chief medical correspondent Dr Jennifer Ashton the former Covid response coordinator said the suggestion shocked her.

"I just wanted it to be The Twilight Zone and all go away," Dr Birx said, adding that she was “paralysed” in the moment. "I mean, I just ... I could just see everything unraveling in that moment."

She added: "We had spent so much time getting everyone to take the virus seriously, and we had these whole series of actions that were critical to saving American lives in that moment ... And I could see everything would be unraveled after that moment.”

Dr Birx explained to ABC News that she believed the president made his remarks after hearing data determining the effectiveness of disinfectants for preventing the virus’s survival on outdoor surfaces, part of a study done to judge whether New York City’s playgrounds could remain open.

Her boss’s cavalier attitude towards the virus was evident throughout 2020, however, undermining messages about new public health guidelines from Dr Birx and Dr Fauci. Mr Trump and his closest advisers were seen maskless at large indoor events throughout the year while his Democratic opponent (and the party’s primary candidates) switched to virtual appearances. In the fall Mr Trump would go on to be hospitalised for Covid-19 after a celebration of Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court became a superspreader event.

The president’s handling of the Covid outbreak was thought to be a contributing factor in his defeat to Mr Biden in the presidential election, though Mr Trump continues to deny the reality of his loss.

Dr Birx’s book, Silent Invasion: The Untold Story of the Trump Administration, Covid-19, and Preventing the Next Pandemic Before It's Too Late, published on Tuesday.