President Donald Trump ordered White House staff to have the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration contradict federal government weather forecasters at the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama.

Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney called Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross “but did not instruct him to threaten any firings or offer any punitive threats, officials said,” The Washington Post reports. “He simply told Ross that the agency needed to fix it immediately, leading to a new statement that was issued on Sept. 6.”

White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney ordered  the Commerce Secretary to direct the NOAA to contradict the government’s weather forecasters so Trump could save face.

“The White House was directly involved in pressing a federal scientific agency to repudiate the weather forecasters who contradicted President Trump’s claim that Hurricane Dorian would probably strike Alabama,” The New York Times reports.

President Trump, asked by reporters Wednesday afternoon, insisted he did not tell Mulvaney to take action.

“No, I never did that,” Trump claimed. “That’s fake news.”

Some are calling for Mulvaney to be fired or to resign.

White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney called Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

Ross then called ⁦@NOAA⁩ and ordered them not to contradict Trump’s weather forecast for Hurricane Dorian.

All this to cover for Trump’s lies.

They should all resign.https://t.co/Wq56wHdK7W

— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) September 11, 2019

No surprise that #Mulvaney just like Commerce Secretary #WilburRoss would threaten government employees if they did not cover up for #Trump lies – but no less culpable – they both need to resign or be fired given these disclosures about #AbuseofPower
https://t.co/X6RrZ1BmfD

— Shanlon Wu (@shanlonwu) September 11, 2019

Acting WH Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney instructed Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to have NOAA support Trump’s comments on the threat of Hurricane Dorian to Alabama and contradict the National Weather Service (NWS), according to The New York Times

Can we get them BOTH to resign?

— Sabrina McDaniel (@Sabrina_McDa) September 11, 2019

https://twitter.com/nancylevine/status/1171823345131606016

Enjoy this piece?

… then let us make a small request. Like you, we here at Raw Story believe in the power of progressive journalism. Raw Story readers power David Cay Johnston’s DCReport, which we've expanded to keep watch in Washington. We’ve exposed billionaire tax evasion and uncovered White House efforts to poison our water. We’ve revealed financial scams that prey on veterans, and legal efforts to harm workers exploited by abusive bosses. And unlike other news outlets, we’ve decided to make our original content free. But we need your support to do what we do.

Raw Story is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. Unhinged from billionaires and corporate overlords, we fight to ensure no one is forgotten.

We need your support to deepen our investigative reporting. Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Invest with us in the future. Make a one-time contribution to Raw Story Investigates, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click to donate by check.

Enjoy this piece?

… then let us make a small request. Like you, we here at Raw Story believe in the power of progressive journalism — and we’re investing in investigative reporting as other publications give it the ax. Raw Story readers power David Cay Johnston’s DCReport, which we've expanded to keep watch in Washington. We’ve exposed billionaire tax evasion and uncovered White House efforts to poison our water. We’ve revealed financial scams that prey on veterans, and efforts to harm workers exploited by abusive bosses. We need your support to do what we do.

Raw Story is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. Unhinged from corporate overlords, we fight to ensure no one is forgotten.

We need your support to keep producing quality journalism and deepen our investigative reporting. Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Invest with us in the future. Make a one-time contribution to Raw Story Investigates, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you.