Dr. Anthony Fauci (R), director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, looks on as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks about coronavirus vaccine development in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 15, 2020 in Washington, DC.
Drew Angerer | Getty Images
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday publicly criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci, saying that one of the nation’s top infectious disease experts “has made a lot of mistakes.”
In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Trump was asked what he makes of hotspots like Texas and Florida and of some of Fauci’s latest comments, though Hannity didn’t specify which remarks he was referring to.
“Dr. Fauci is a nice man, but he’s made a lot of mistakes,” Trump said.
“A lot of them said don’t wear a mask, don’t wear a mask,” the president added. “Now they are saying wear a mask. A lot of mistakes were made, a lot of mistakes.”
Trump touted, as he as repeatedly, the amount of coronavirus testing in the U.S., stating that 45 million people have been tested. He said that most recover quickly.
“We have cases all over the place. Most of the cases immediately get better, they are people, young people, they have sniffles and two days later they are fine and they are not sick to start,” Trump said.
Asked Thursday whether the administration was retaliating against Fauci for publicly contradicting the president, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany didn’t answer the question. She told reporters that Fauci has appeared on six TV programs since June 1 and that he spoke during a task force briefing on June 26 and participated in Vice President Mike Pence’s briefing on June 29th.
In an interview on Sirius XM Thursday, Fauci criticized the states and cities that did not follow the guidelines put out by the administration on how to reopen their regions. He also said he doesn’t understand why people are still asking about a second wave when the U.S. is still “knee-deep in the first wave.”
