This browser does not support the Video element.
FOX 35 EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Deborah Birx speaks about family gathering controversy
White House coronavirus coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx spoke exclusively to FOX 35 about her recent family gathering amid the pandemic.
ORLANDO, Fla. - White House coronavirus coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx is stepping down, but not just yet.
On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that Birx told the news outlet Newsy that she would be retiring, but would stay on to help the Biden administration coronavirus response as needed. No exact timetable was given.
The news comes just hours after Dr. Birx sat down for an exclusive interview with FOX 35 News, in which she addressed her recent family gathering that caused controversy amid the pandemic.
Birx traveled out of state for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was urging Americans to forgo holiday travel.
The Associated Press (AP) said "Birx acknowledged in a statement on Sunday that she went to her Delaware property and was accompanied by family members. She insisted the purpose of the roughly 50-hour visit was to deal with the winterization of the property before a potential sale — something she says she previously hadn’t had time to do because of her busy schedule."
The AP article also said, "I did not go to Delaware for the purpose of celebrating Thanksgiving," Birx said in her statement, adding that her family shared a meal together while in Delaware.
Birx said that everyone on her Delaware trip belongs to her "immediate household," even as she acknowledged that the people who came live in two different homes.
According to the AP article, Birx, 64, told Newsy the scrutiny she has received in her job has been a "bit overwhelming."
You can see Dr. Birx's full interview with FOX 35 on Wednesday during the 9 a.m. hour of Good Day Orlando.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.