Donald Trump is on the warpath yet again. This time, his target is the CDC and a list of words he feels is “inappropriate” for them to use.
Science
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was created in part to protect the most vulnerable of Americans. However, the Trump Administration has recently decided it no longer wants the CDC to use the word “vulnerable” in any 2018 budget documents. Other words it decided to place on a no-no list include “diversity,” “fetus,” “transgender,” “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “science-based” and “evidence-based.”
The CDC was given a 90-minute briefing late last week with the words they may no longer use. However, administration officials had enough of a heart to give them a list of alternate words they could use in place of the banned ones.  For example, instead of saying “evidence-based” or “science-based,” an analyst could say, “CDC bases its recommendations on science in consideration with community standards and wishes.”
Regrettably, those analysts working on how the Zika virus might affect a developing fetus are just plain out of luck in finding a word that would be acceptable to “The Donald” and his West Wing Willies.
According to a source, the reaction in the room when CDC employees were given the news was almost laughable.
“It was very much, ‘Are you serious? Are you kidding?'” the source said.
Completely ignoring the directive, CDCÂ Director Brenda Fitzgerald sent a memo to her staff on Saturday and openly declared that “science is and will remain the foundation of our work.” She then added that the “CDC remains committed to our public health mission as a science- and evidence-based institution” — purposely using 2 of the banned words to describe the agency’s mission.
Science
Others outside the agency also responded with their own set of choice words.
“To pretend and insist that transgender people do not exist, and to allow this lie to infect public health research and prevention is irrational and very dangerous,” Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said in a statement. “The Trump administration is full of dangerous science deniers who have no business near American public health systems like the CDC,” she continued. “They are actually going to kill Americans if they do not stop.”
Referring to the order as “reckless” and “unimaginably dangerous,” Dana Singiser, vice president of public policy and government affairs for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, also weighed in.
“You cannot fight against the Zika virus, or improve women’s and fetal health, if you are unable to use the word ‘fetus.’ You must be able to talk about science and evidence if you are to research cures for infectious diseases such as Ebola,” Singiser said. “You must be able to acknowledge the humanity of transgender people in order to address their health care needs. You cannot erase health inequities faced by people of color simply by forbidding the use of the words ‘vulnerable’ or ‘diversity’.”
However, it was Rush Holt, chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science who described the Trump mandate best.
“Here’s a word that’s still allowed… ‘Ridiculous.'”
I heard about this on the weekend and it is stupid. It’s like they have nothing to do over there at the White House but come up with dumb ish over and over. The reaction of those employees said it all for me.