The White House is aiming to discredit Anthony Fauci with a leaked memo citing nearly a dozen comments made by the nation’s top infectious diseases expert about the COVID-19 pandemic, according to multiple reports.
The memo, first obtained by The Washington Post, reportedly contains comments Fauci has made publicly about the pandemic that have contradicted information he later shared as the outbreak unfolded.
The White House effort to undermine Fauci, who serves as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and is a member of the White House coronavirus task force, comes as President Trump is downplaying the coronavirus pandemic amid a continued surge across the country.
The document claims that “several White House officials are concerned about the number of times Dr. Fauci has been wrong on things,” according to ABC News.
One example cited in the document includes comments Fauci made on NBC’s “Today” in late February that “at this moment, there is no need to change anything you‘re doing on a day-by-day basis,” ABC News reported.
The document, however, doesn’t cite Fauci’s full comments made on the show, the network notes.
“Right now the risk is still low, but this could change,” Fauci also said on “Today” at the time. “When you start to see community spread, this could change and force you to become much more attentive to doing things that would protect you from spread.”
The document also targets Fauci’s guidance in March that “people should not be walking around with masks,” according to NBC News.
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- Discussion
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White House releases memo targeting Fauci as coronavirus cases surge https://t.co/QqnV5aHRe8 pic.twitter.com/GBlZ3NMbpu
— The Hill (@thehill) July 13, 2020
if the WH wants to discredit one of their own top public health experts in a pandemic, they should come out and put a name to it. there is no journalistic reason to grant them anonymity. this serves no one, spreads confusion, and is actively dangerous https://t.co/7LiSBoyL78
— David Mack (@davidmackau) July 12, 2020
Each day more horrible and absurd than the last. pic.twitter.com/2IlCqHh9bP
— Seth Masket (@smotus) July 13, 2020
I can’t remember anything quite like the White House attack on Dr. Anthony Fauci. As U.S. infection rates soar, trying to make a scapegoat of the most admired public servant in America isn’t going to work. And it’s plain dishonest. via @NYTimes https://t.co/xwi3isxpWb
— Nicholas Burns (@RNicholasBurns) July 13, 2020
“THE WEAR YOUR MASK ACT – new bill from @RepSylviaGarcia would require people to wear masks in federal facilities until Tony Fauci says masks aren’t necessary.
(Bill comes after Trump and others have flouted masks – and after White House undermined Fauci.) pic.twitter.com/0yRInB4zS1
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) July 13, 2020
Where is Dr. Birx? What is wrong with her? She should be defending her colleague instead of playing lapdog to the president. Moreover, both Birx and Fauci should resign immediately and tell what they know. It’s been obvious for quite awhile now that neither of them are able to do any good whatsoever. They were Kabuki theater props. Trump never had any intention of following their recommendations. I have little respect for the CDC head right now either. What are these people so afraid of? Obviously this is a president who is on the decline and losing power. Fauci is popular and people trust him. They should have known from the beginning how this would end. You either go along with whatever Trump wants you to do or you have your career destroyed. Who signs up for that? How naive do you have to be?
Trump can’t fire Dr. Fauci, so he is going to try to destroy his reputation and him personally. I don’t know — maybe Dr. Fauci is hanging on because he doesn’t want his distinguished career to end under a cloud. Personally, my inclination — if I were in Dr. Fauci’s shoes — would be to say something like “Fine. If you think you know so much. I’m out of here and I don’t care now what happens.” But Dr. Fauci does care about the people and I think that’s what keeps him hanging in there.
I haven’t always agreed with Dr. Fauci — the masks and the lockdowns, among other things — but I would trust his advice and expertise far more than Trump’s. That he is trying to destroy the reputation of a doctor with a long and distinguished career inn infectious diseases, who has served under every president, Republican or Democrat, since President Reagan is just one more reason why I wouldn’t vote for Trump’s re-election if you paid me. And I hope enough voters out there feel the same way.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Director of Social Media posts cartoon and message on FB attacking the nation’s leading infectious disease expert for telling the truth about this deadly pandemic. https://t.co/lqwUFHTCYP pic.twitter.com/gR3oHoV1eH
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) July 14, 2020
I agree Everyday. I also think that Dr. Fauci cares very much. It’s just that he is no longer going to be able to accomplish anything nor have any influence working for the Trump administration. They are trying to discredit and silence him. He’d be able to do much more cutting himself loose from the administration and continuing to appear on tv and pen some op eds. He has built a trust among the people that the government doesn’t have. Let Trump diminish himself with the insane personal attacks. Let Dr. Fauci continue to just drive home the message using science and the trust he has earned from the public and ignore the lunatic rantings from the WH.
More than two-thirds of Americans trust Dr. Fauci to provide accurate information about the coronavirus over one-quarter who say the same for President Donald Trump, according to polling from the NY Times and Siena College. https://t.co/rwtDTfhCWg
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 14, 2020
When the clods in White House attack Fauci, they're telling Americans that their lives are unimportant and unworthy of saving. You'd think they'd realize that or at least see their horrendous polling and adjust course, but no. It's as if callous ineptitude is their only mode. https://t.co/O32mUvkpQy
— Evan McMullin (@EvanMcMullin) July 14, 2020
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