Tensions Between Trump And Fauci Bubble Over Contested Campaign Ad
President Donald Trump attacked his top infectious disease expert in a tweet after Dr. Anthony Fauci criticized the president's re-election campaign for using an old, out-of-context statement without permission in an advertisement.
President Trump鈥檚 long-fraught relationship with Anthony S. Fauci, the nation鈥檚 top infectious-disease specialist, ruptured again this week in an ugly public dispute just as U.S. coronavirus cases have ticked past 50,000 per day and with three weeks left in a campaign dominated by the government鈥檚 response to the pandemic. Trump on Tuesday responded to Fauci鈥檚 warnings that the president鈥檚 decision to resume campaign rallies this week was 鈥渧ery troublesome鈥 by mocking him in a tweet that unfavorably compared his medical guidance to his errant ceremonial first pitch at a Washington Nationals game in July. (Nakamura, Dawsey and Abutaleb, 10/13)
The president鈥檚 tweet appeared to be a reference to skepticism Dr. Fauci expressed about masks in March, a position he later reversed. Mr. Trump didn鈥檛 wear a mask in public until this summer and has often mocked their usage. The president鈥檚 latest criticism of Dr. Fauci, whom he has regularly attacked for months, came a day after the doctor called for the Trump campaign to take down the ad featuring his comments. 鈥淭o take a completely out-of-context statement鈥 thought it was really very disappointing,鈥 Dr. Fauci said on CNN on Monday. He said it would be 鈥渙utrageous鈥 if the campaign uses his comments in future ads. (Ballhaus, 10/13)
Also 鈥
Health officials have struggled to convey the seriousness of Covid-19 to many Americans. President Trump鈥檚 rapid recovery from the disease, while welcome by all, makes the challenge even more difficult, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases acknowledged. Trump鈥檚 quick bounce-back from his infection will likely underscore the mistaken belief some people have that the disease does not present significant health risks, Fauci said in an interview with STAT. (Branswell, 10/13)