Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar on Wednesday stepped away from President Donald Trump’s fantasy that he, not President-elect Joe Biden, won the 2020 election.
Azar told CNN that his department “will ensure a full cooperative, professional transition.”
“I’ve already met with the Biden transition team,” he said. “We want to make sure they get everything that they need.”
The Trump official stated that he would be in touch with Biden’s chosen HHS secretary, Xavier Becerra, “as is appropriate” before the Senate confirmation hearings.
“I want to ensure that any transition is as smooth, as professional, as possible because we’re about ensuring the health and well-being of the American people, and that’s what matters to me,” he said.
Azar’s remarks signaled something of a shift after he kept refusing to refer to Biden as the president-elect on Sunday, prompting Fox News anchor Chris Wallace to correct him twice.
And several weeks ago, the official told “Good Morning America” host George Stephanopoulos that he would not allow his department to share its data on distributing the COVID-19 vaccine with the Biden transition team until the General Service Administration (GSA) formally ascertains the ex-vice president’s victory. The GSA, headed by a Trump appointee, did not do so until nearly three weeks after the election.
Watch Azar below:
"I've already met with the Biden transition team. We want to make sure they get everything that they need," HHS Secretary Azar says, adding that he wants to ensure a smooth and professional transition because "we're about ensuring the health and well-being of the American people" pic.twitter.com/FF6iBhfKmi
— New Day (@NewDay) December 9, 2020
