With coronavirus pandemic strengthening its grip on people around the world, health officials are leaving no stone unturned in an attempt to promote the importance of social distancing, wearing a mask, and following other safety guidances. Keeping in line with that Dr. Anthony Fauci recently urged elected officials to push for more health safety measures, but he ended up enraging Donald Trump, who called the infectious disease expert a little bit of an alarmist for his actions.
Trump made an appearance in an interview on Fox News Sunday, where he defended his relationship with Fauci. The president's rapport with Fauci has been in the spotlight, particularly after the White House made a slew of comments and several moves to raise questions about Fauci's position with the Trump administration during this crisis.
"Dr. Fauci's made some mistakes," Trump said, adding that he spoke to him a day before. Noting that he has a good relationship with Fauci, the president called him a bit of an alarmist but said that's okay. During the interview, Trump pointed out numerous mistakes that Fauci had made in the past, including his recent view on wearing masks to restrict the spread of the virus.
In the early stage of the outbreak, Fauci suggested that people do not need to purchase the N95 masks as they were meant to be used by health professionals. He now urges people to cover their faces using some sort of mask, and last week advised governors and mayors to implement wearing face coverings rule as strictly as possible.
Admitting that he made a few mistakes in the coronavirus response initially, Trump said in the interview that he would be right eventually. Responding to host Chris Wallace's question, Trump said Fauci's mistakes do not discredit him, claiming that he has been right about the pandemic more than anybody else.
After noting talking to Fauci for over a month, Trump had a phone conversation with him last Wednesday. Trump's top aides have been attacking Fauci for quite some time now, with Peter Navarro publishing an opinion article that accuses Fauci of being wrong on several occasions during the pandemic.
Trump refrained from commenting on Navarro's op-ed initially but later took a forceful stance saying Navaroo's statements represented the senior White House trade official himself. The president said he shouldn't have done that, adding that he has a good relationship with Fauci.