Trump orders external communications ‘blackout’ at federal health agencies

The order, which reportedly surprised staff within the agencies, is described as part of a broader effort to review how federal health information is communicated. It remains unclear how long the pause will remain in effect or how the agencies will address urgent public health issues during this period.

The directive affects routine activities such as CDC health advisories to clinicians, public health trend data from the National Center for Health Statistics, and other external communications. It is not yet confirmed if urgent communications, such as warnings about foodborne disease outbreaks or drug approvals, will be impacted.

HHS Deputy Chief of Staff Stefanie Spear, a former campaign spokesperson for Robert F. Kennedy Jr's presidential run, who has been selected by Trump to lead the department, instructed staff to implement the pause. According to The Washington Post, the move is seen as an attempt by Trump officials to assess and understand the processes behind the release of health information. One anonymous source speculated that the pause “seemed more about letting them catch their breath and know what is going on with regard to” communications.

The directive comes as Trump has put in a number of pauses regarding federal agencies upon taking office, seemingly designed to give the administration time to evaluate current policies in place. Trump also signed an executive order that put a regulator freeze, pending review, on all executive departments.