Fauci calls White House criticism of him bizarre, says 'let's stop this nonsense' and fight coronavirus

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-fauci/fauci-calls-white-house-criticism-of-him-bizarre-says-lets-stop-this-nonsense-and-fight-coronavirus-idUSKCN24G2RZ


Doina Chiacu
July 15, 2020 / 2:11 PM


U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci on Wednesday called the White House effort to discredit him “bizarre” and urged an end to the divisiveness over the country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, saying “let’s stop this nonsense.”

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The recent spike in coronavirus infections, primarily in states that were among the earliest to lift coronavirus restrictions, put Fauci on a collision course with the White House.

“One of the things that’s part of the problem is the dynamics of the divisiveness that is going on now that it becomes difficult to engage in a dialogue of honest evaluation of what’s gone right and what’s gone wrong,” Fauci told The Atlantic in an interview.

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Fauci said in a Financial Times interview last week he had not briefed Trump in two months. He said on Wednesday his advice is passed onto Trump indirectly, via Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the White House coronavirus task force.

In his Atlantic interview, Fauci recommended the country hit a reset button and acknowledge that things are not going in the right direction. The rising numbers of coronavirus infections show “we’ve got to do better” and states need to get on the same page and work on ways to control the virus.

“So, rather than these games people are playing, let’s focus on that,” Fauci said.