Fox News Questions Dr. Birx Over 100,000 Death Toll: ‘What Happened Doctor?’

The U.S. death toll is set to reach 100,000 this week, with some models predicting a spike in death rates as states reopen; the White House, meanwhile has repeatedly changed its estimates for how many Americans will perish from the disease.

“Look how much the model has changed in just a week — remember just a week ago it was 80,000, now it’s 60,000,” Birx said in a clip from April 10 played during the interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace on Sunday. 

Wallace then pressed Birx about the change in the models she cited: “Early this coming week we’re going to reach 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus and those models that you’re citing now talk about close to 150,000 deaths by August; what happened, doctor?”

Birx said the task force continues to “stand by” models that showed that up to 2.4 million Americans could die if no actions were taken to slow the spread of the virus, a model that also predicted up to 240,000 deaths with stay-at-home orders implemented.

After Wallace pressed Birx further on her changed prediction and whether the White House “underestimated” the virus, the doctor then appeared to deflect in her answer. 

Birx pointed to “different models” the task force had used all along and added that front-line workers had done “incredible work” to keep mortality rates lower than Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom, three other countries hard hit by the virus.