Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx, two of the most prominent members of the White House coronavirus task force, advised Trump against holding an in-person rally in Tulsa this weekend, sources told NBC News.
Both Fauci and Birx have voiced concerns about hosting the rally, which is set to congregate at least 19,000 people in Tulsa’s BOK Center. The event goes against guidelines in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the White House.
On Friday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court denied a legal request to require that social distancing be enforced at the rally.
The Trump campaign said that attendees will be given temperature checks, masks and hand sanitizer before entering the arena. However, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Wednesday that wearing masks at the event would be a “personal choice.”
According to NBC, Fauci and Birx have expressed a desire to continue making appearances at White House press briefings, which was a regular occurrence at one point during the pandemic.
But sources told NBC that Trump is “annoyed” at the comments Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has made during media interviews.
In an interview with the Daily Beast this week, Fauci said that if he had the opportunity, he would not attend the rally.
Fauci told the Washington Post in a story published Friday that he has not met with President Trump as of late, but has met with Vice President Pence, who leads the task force, “then it goes up to the next level.”
Trump has publicly expressed his frustration with Fauci at times, tweeting Friday that “Tony Fauci has nothing to do with NFL Football,” after Fauci told CNN on Thursday that it would be “very hard” for the NFL to have a season safely without having players in a “bubble,” which the league currently does not have plans for.
……….
- Discussion
-
JUST IN: Fauci and Birx advised Trump against holding Tulsa rally: report https://t.co/9o1NWfV9M0 pic.twitter.com/wLnFAPxEAv
— The Hill (@thehill) June 19, 2020
Who are you going to trust, Anthony Fauci or the guy who stopped holding coronavirus briefings after people laughed at him for musing aloud about bleach injections? https://t.co/KuKjrgAai7
— Robert Maguire (@RobertMaguire_) June 19, 2020
Trump has repeatedly ignored sound medical advice on COVID because he really doesn’t care what happens to the people he is supposed to lead. All he care about is himself. Right now he is ignoring the advice and warnings because he wants another four years in the White House. if people contract COVID and die as a result of this rally –well, they are just collateral damage and have nothing to do with his re-election ambitions.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.