**Biden’s Pick for CDC Director: A Champion of Draconian Restrictions**
President Biden is set to appoint Dr. Mandy Cohen, the former health secretary for North Carolina, as the new CDC director, following Rochelle Walenksy’s resignation last month. This development could potentially spell trouble for ordinary Americans, given Cohen’s past enthusiasm for heavy-handed COVID restrictions, and her questionable commitment to their enforcement.
Dr. Mandy Cohen has a history of implementing strict COVID restrictions and nonchalantly discussing their impact on Americans. During her tenure, she was caught on camera laughing about state decisions regarding professional football games. Furthermore, she appeared to only follow her own guidance when it suited her, as seen when she walked into a press conference without a mask, seemingly ignorant of the nearby camera.
Cohen’s appointment to the CDC comes at a time when public trust in the agency is waning. A 2021 NBC News poll showed that just 44% of Americans trusted the CDC, compared to 69% at the beginning of the pandemic.
Notably, Dr. Cohen insisted that children from kindergarten to 8th grade should be required to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status. She tweeted in July 2021: “Schools with students in K-8th grade should require all children and staff to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status. Schools with students in 9th-12th grades should ensure that anyone who isn’t fully vaccinated, including students, wears a mask indoors.”
In addition, Cohen also demonstrated her unwavering support for Dr. Anthony Fauci through her social media presence. She tweeted photos of herself wearing a mask featuring Fauci’s face and encouraged others to participate in “#WorldMaskWeek”. Her close association with Fauci could give cause for concern, given his polarizing public persona in recent years.
**A Troubling Sign for American Freedom?**
Dr. Mandy Cohen’s impending appointment as the new CDC director should worry those who value personal freedoms and the right to live without unnecessary government interference. Her history suggests that she may attempt to enforce measures that disproportionately impact America’s working population, whilst disregarding the same rules when it suits her. The CDC, already facing declining public trust, may come to suffer further under her leadership.
