WH press secretary pushes back on 'misconstrued' reporting on coronavirus task force potentially winding down

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Kayleigh McEnany pledges ‘never to lie’ at first White House briefing

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, during her first official briefing, promised that she ‘will never lie’ to the press in her new role.

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White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany pushed back Tuesday on what she views as “misconstrued” reporting on Vice President Pence’s announcement that the administration is potentially winding down the coronavirus task force.

"Reporting on the task force is being misconstrued to suggest the White House is no longer involving medical experts. This is totally false," she tweeted.

McEnany said the Trump administration will use a “data-driven approach towards safely re-opening [sic]” the country, though she did not comment on whether or not the task force will be disbanded in the coming weeks.

CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE WINDING DOWN: VP PENCE

Pence’s announcement comes as talks about reopening the economy have begun, though COVID-19 cases are still on the rise in the U.S. with more than a million confirmed cases and nearly 70,000 deaths so far reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The vice president told reporters Tuesday that the administration is “having conversations about that and about what the proper time is for the task force to complete its work."

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IN TALKS OVER POTENTIALLY WINDING DOWN CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE

A White House official told Fox News that the medical community would have a part to play in the next phase of reopening the country and that the administration will “make sure medical guidelines are kept up to date."

However, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Trump’s infectious disease expert and a member of the task force, reportedly contradicted the idea that the task force was “winding down”.

“That's not true," Fauci told CBS during an interview on Tuesday. "I've been in every task force meeting, and that's not what they are doing.”

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The task force has been responsible for providing regular updates on the latest news regarding COVID-19. Some states have begun to start reopening their economies based on regulations provided by the task force.

Fox News' Brooke Singman and John Roberts contributed to this report.