Bhattacharya Attributes Declining Trust in Public Health to Biden Administration and Media

In a recent appearance on CBS “Face the Nation,” Jay Bhattacharya—acting head of the National Institutes of Health—asserted that public confidence in health officials has eroded largely because of actions taken by the Biden administration and the way the media covered the COVID-19 pandemic. The interview, conducted on a Sunday, also touched on the 2025 shooting at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, which Bhattacharya linked to broader misinformation narratives.

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The discussion follows a series of high-profile disputes over pandemic messaging. Earlier in the year, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. challenged CNN anchors over claims that the COVID-19 vaccine was “the deadliest vaccine ever made,” labeling such statements misinformation. Bhattacharya’s remarks echo concerns that politicized coverage and policy decisions—such as school closures—have left many parents wary of vaccination and school attendance, even as the nation moves into the 2026 school year.

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When pressed about whether the Biden administration had censored him, he replied, “No, like Biden.” He also declined to comment on a pending executive order reportedly directing health officials to investigate a link between autism and vaccines, directing the question to the president instead. Margaret Brennan pushed back, emphasizing that the interview should focus on current public-health practices rather than past pandemic actions.

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• “His father said he was brainwashed about the Covid vaccine and thought it was making him suicidal,” — Brennansaid

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