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| Michael Caputo |
Embattled Dept. of Health and Human Services communications chief Michael Caputo apologized today during an emergency staff meeting, according to Politico, for drawing negative attention to president Trump’s healthcare strategy.
Caputo posted a video Sept. 13 on his Facebook page about the Centers for Disease Control having a “resistance unit” to thwart Trump, and left-wing hit squads ready to spread chaos in the event the president wins re-election.
And when Donald Trump refuses to stand down at the inauguration, the shooting will begin," he said. "The drills that you've seen are nothing." He also added, "If you carry guns, buy ammunition, ladies and gentlemen, because it's going to be hard to get."
Politico reports that Caputo told staffers that his behavior was due to a combination of physical health issues and threats made against his family.
He is scheduled to meet with HHS Secretary Alex Azar today, and also indicated that he may be soon leaving his post.
Caputo noted that HHS in the past has operated without a permanent communications head.
Trump appointed Caputo, a political operative, to his communications post in order to keep a tighter control over messaging.
Tricia McLaughlin, the combative spokesperson for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, is leaving her post.
While finding the right solution to a problem is still important, the work that differentiates effective communications leaders is problem-finding—identifying the real risk before it becomes visible, reputational or irreversible.
Orchestra has recruited Deepika Sandhu for the senior VP-legal & crisis communications slot.
Apologies are often seen as a weakness or as proof that a leader has lost control of the narrative. But Donald Trump's failure to apologize after he posted—and then deleted—a video with a racist clip of Barack and Michelle Obama shows how flawed this mindset is.
Tim Allan, communications director for embattled British prime minister Keir Starmer, has quit as the Jeffrey Epstein scandal has engulfed Ten Downing Street.
