Ebola, hantavirus outbreaks raise questions about Trump's health agency cuts

The Trump administration's deep cuts to federal health agencies have become a political liability after a deadly outbreak of hantavirus aboard a cruise ship and the spread of an even more fearsome disease, Ebola , in Africa. At least that's the way many Democrats see it. They have seized on the situation to charge that the U.S. is ill prepared to respond to outbreaks — let alone a pandemic — after President Trump slashed jobs and funding for public health infrastructure and pandemic preparedness. Infectious disease specialists have called on the White House to reverse cuts and rejoin the World Health Organization. The White House, meanwhile, is on the defensive, trying to reassure a pandemic-weary public that the federal government can still mount effective responses to infectious disease outbreaks. The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention underwent massive layoffs as part of an effort led by billionaire businessman Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency , or DOGE, that also resulted in the cancellations of billions of dollars in federal contracts and grants. "These outbreaks are unfolding at a time when the U.S. public health infrastructure is under significant strain," said Leana Wen , an emergency physician and former Baltimore health commissioner. …