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Opinion
Jonathan Bernstein

Trump, the CDC and Incentives Ignored

Ordinarily, presidents listen to experts because it serves their own political interests. That’s not happening this time.

Not the greatest moment in CDC history.

Not the greatest moment in CDC history.

Photographer: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

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It’s amazing how quickly the CDC has squandered its reputation for straight-shooting and scientific excellence during Donald Trump’s presidency (the latest embarrassments are here and here). There’s a lot to say about this and similar failures across the federal government, but what strikes me is what they reveal about healthy incentives — and how Trump manages to ignore them.