Anthony Fauci Addresses White House Attacks: ‘It’s Only Reflecting Negatively On Them’
In an interview with The Atlantic published on Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci addressed the White House’s recent attacks on his credibility.
“I cannot figure out in my wildest dreams why they would want to do that,” Fauci said, referring to the White House document that was seen as undermining his record on the coronavirus pandemic. “I think they realize now that that was not a prudent thing to do, because it’s only reflecting negatively on them.”
According to Fauci, the White House’s recent actions toward him could harm Donald Trump’s reelection campaign.
“Ultimately, it hurts the president to do that. When the staff lets out something like that and the entire scientific and press community push back on it, it ultimately hurts the president.”
He also said that the people who crafted the memo seeking to discredit his work during the pandemic are now “taken aback by what a big mistake that was.”
Afterward, Fauci spoke of his recent meeting with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. According to the doctor, he told Meadows he didn’t believe the memo was a smart move.
“I told him I thought it was a big mistake. That doesn’t serve any good purpose for what we’re trying to do.”
Fauci claimed that Meadows did not apologize and instead said was unaware of the document. Nevertheless, the doctor shot down the possibility of resigning from his position, noting the importance of his work and the contributions he believes he can continue to make with his skills.
With the nixing of the daily press briefings with the coronavirus task force, Fauci said his relationship with the president has become less involved. However, he said he has daily discussions with Vice President Mike Pence, White House coronavirus-response coordinator Deborah Birx, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Bob Redfield, and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Steve Hahn. Notably, Fauci said Pence listens to his advice and passes it on to the president.
The White House’s attempt to discredit Fauci was met with pushback from Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who praised the infectious disease expert and suggested that such moves were counterproductive. The Association of American Medical Colleges also condemned the White House’s attacks on Fauci and claimed they would harm the United States’ efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
As The Inquisitr reported, Trump’s advisers have allegedly limited Fauci’s television appearances and made efforts to keep him out of the Oval Office.
