President Donald Trump and America's top immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci has recently been slamming each other in interviews over the Trump administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. While the president called the renowned physician a "disaster," the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has accused his administration of not allowing him to do interviews on television.
Taking to his Twitter account, Trump said Fauci seems to get more airtime than anybody since comedian Bob Hope and advised him to make better decisions. Fauci, on Friday, revealed that the president hasn't even attended a coronavirus task force meeting in several months, even though new COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the United States.
While in the initial stage of the pandemic, the task force held meetings, led by Vice President Mike Pence, every day, that's been reduced to weekly virtual meetings, Fauci said. When MSNBC’s Chuck Todd asked Fauci about the last time the president had attended a meeting with the public health experts during an interview, Fauci said they interact with Pence at the task force meetings, and he conveys their feelings and message to Trump.
His remarks coincide with the director of the National Institutes of Health Dr. Francis Collins, who is also a member of the task force. During an interview with NPR, which was published on Monday, Collins that Trump usually receives his information from the vice president and coronavirus advisor Scott Atlas.
Responding to MSNBC's question about how often he briefs Trump, Fauci said the president listens more to Atlas than him, noting that it has been a changing situation. Although he is not an infectious disease specialist, Atlas has promoted the herd immunity strategy, which Fauci hasn't supported, claiming it will lead to a lot of unnecessary deaths.
Twitter removed a tweet by Atlas for violating its policy against spreading misinformation regarding the coronavirus pandemic. He had tweeted that masks are ineffective when it comes to protecting against the virus, while responding to a Twitter user's question. Trump is regularly updated about the coronavirus. He is given the latest information on the big decisions that helps him move forward in the best way for the United States, White House spokeswoman Sarah Matthews said in a statement released to CNBC.
Trump has publicly slammed Fauci, calling him a "disaster," and suggesting he is an "idiot" during a call with his reelection campaign staff earlier this week. The president continues to push for reopening of economies across America, despite daily cases climbing to highs last reported over the summer, when cases climbed across the nation's Sun Belt states.