Mnuchin: I’ve never been told not to use certain words at Treasury

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Sunday that he has never received directives banning specific words from use at the Treasury Department, a comment that follows a report saying the Trump administration banned employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from using certain phrases in official documents.

“I’m not aware of that directive at all,” Mnuchin told CNN’s “State of the Union” when asked about a report from The Washington Post that said the administration barred the CDC from using specific phrases like “science-based” and “evidence-based,” among others.

{mosads}During the Sunday interview, Mnuchin said he was “not aware” of the order and said he has never been told not to use certain words at the Treasury Department, nor has he told Treasury employees not to use certain words. 

“Nobody’s told me not to use certain words and I’ve never told anybody in Treasury not to use certain words,” Mnuchin said. 

The report in the Post said the CDC provided policy analysts with the list of banned words that are not to be used in documents related to the budget for next year.