The director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has created a “toxic” work environment and is overly concerned with public profile, according to multiple former and current officials who spoke to Politico.
Dr. Rahul Gupta, who runs ONDCP, has been described as a “prima donna” by former and current ONDCP members, leading to the resignation of eight chief executives and many close aides. according to Politico is not naming the officials. Mr. Gupta was appointed ONDCP Director in 2021 by President Joe Biden, and his office is tasked with leading the fight against the opioid epidemic. (Related article: Biden administration spends taxpayer dollars to feed Americans trash-feeding bugs)
“The way Mr. Biden treats people is the exact opposite of what he said he expected from his staff,” she said, referring to Mr. Biden's threat to fire appointees on his first day in office. , a person familiar with the president's inner workings told Politico. That was rude. “I think the reason everyone is afraid is because they fear retaliation.”
According to Politico, ONDCP officials said Mr. Gupta was arranging the trip for publicity purposes rather than office-related business, and were angry that staffers were unable to arrange meetings with senior officials. He claimed that there was. Staff members also request luxurious accommodations, such as canceling trips because they don't want to fly on Southwest Airlines or requesting larger rooms because they calculate that the hotel room square footage is not large enough. He said that there were times when.
'What are they thinking?!': Biden slams Republicans who used Navalny's death to block funding to Ukraine https://t.co/iCjnJs6wrT
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) February 17, 2024
“Dr. ” an ONDCP official told Politico. He asked about Mr. Gupta creating a toxic work environment.
Staffers say Mr. Gupta's preoccupation with his public image has led to widespread dysfunction within the White House, resulting in the fight against the opioid epidemic taking a back seat in terms of White House priorities. It is claimed that it has become. His dysfunction has also prevented Mr. Gupta from building important connections within the White House, such as those on the Domestic Policy Council, and his work in the Oval Office has stalled.
“I think he likes the perks of this job,” one former official told Politico. “I think he likes the title, the ability to travel. But I don't know if he likes the work it takes to make it a very meaningful place.”
The opioid epidemic continues to plague Americans, most recently in the form of synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which became popular starting in 2013. Between 1999 and 2021, nearly 645,000 people died from opioid overdose.
The White House and ONDCP did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
All content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan news distribution service, is available free of charge to legitimate news publishers with large audiences. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and DCNF affiliation. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
