As of today, there's only one person left on the staff of the White House chief technology officer, the New York Times reports.
So far, President Donald Trump has only named Michael Kratsios as the deputy chief technology officer, leaving many other spots vacant, the Times says. Under the last administration, it notes, there were two dozen people on the staff of the White House chief technology officer.
"The impression this leaves is that Trump isn't interested in science and that scientific matters are a low priority at the White House," Vinton Cerf, a vice president at Google, tells the Times.
At the same time, conservatives are considering dismantling the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Times adds. They argue that much of its functions duplicate activities at other governmental agencies.
A White House official tells the Times that the science and technology positions haven't been filled because of timing. The unnamed individual adds that Trump is still reviewing candidates for the chief science advisor role and will staff the science and technology office.
In the meantime, the Times notes that the White House has been issuing budget wish lists and executive orders without input from the science and technology office. "They are flying blind when it comes to science and tech issues," says Kumar Garg, a former senior advisor in the science and technology office.