Deborah Birx has not been approached by team Biden about staying on as a government employee
While not publicly commenting on what her future plans could entail, Birx has privately expressed interest in keeping her current role as coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, or a similar position within a Biden-led government.
The White House did not immediately responded to CNN’s request for comment. The Biden team declined to comment.
Birx has been a government employee since 1980 when she joined the Army shortly after receiving her medical degree, and is now one of the country’s top immunologists.
A major caveat that could prevent Biden’s from reaching out to Birx thus far involves the new administration having to get permission from the current administration if it wishes to employ or officially approach anyone in the executive branch or any federal post.
In recent months, Birx has not been at the White House as much as she was in the early days of the pandemic, choosing instead to travel the country and speak about Covid-19 prevention best practices on a state and local level.
Birx vowed in August to never again be in a face-to-face meeting with Atlas, whose medical opinions about Covid-19 she vehemently opposes.
Though her visual presence beside Trump at press briefings has diminished — along with the briefings themselves — one person who has known Birx for more than a decade says her association with the current administration could be too strong for the new one to keep her on, despite her desire to remain.
The source reminded, however, if anyone could make a tricky transition, it’s Birx, who moved from senior positions in George W. Bush’s administration to Barack Obama’s before the current administration.
CNN’s Paul LeBlanc contributed to this report.
