Dr. Anthony Fauci is not backing down in showing his clear distaste about being used and taken out of context in a campaign advertisement for President Donald Trumpâs re-election.
Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, previously spoke out that his words â âI canât imagineâŚthat anybody could be doing moreâ â used in the ad regarding the coronavirus pandemic were taken out of context. Fauci has clarified those remarks were him praising the federal governmentâs response as a whole not solely Trump.
When reports suggested he would reportedly be used in another campaign ad, Fauci said âthat would be terrible,â adding, âI mean, that would be outrageous if they do that. In fact, that might actually come back to backfire on them. I hope they donât do that.â
Reiterating his disapproval being used in a campaign ad, Fauci said during Thursdayâs âGood Morning Americaâ interview that he is ânot contemplating any further action,â before adding, âI donât like to be associated with anything political.â
âThe way I was juxtaposed in that ad, it made it look very much like I was part of a political campaign,â Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said. âAnd Iâm expressing that I donât like that.â
âWhen I said it might backfire I think if people see that theyâre doing things that are clearly against my will, itâs going to make them look bad. Thatâs what I meant, nothing more than that.â
See Fauciâs interview below:
After Fauci previously spoke out about the ad, Trump fired back in a tweet, âThey are indeed Dr. Fauciâs own words. We have done a âphenomenalâ job, according to certain governors. Many people agreeâŚAnd now come the Vaccines Cures, long ahead of projections!â
The president also slammed Fauci in a tweet this week, writing, âActually, Tonyâs pitching arm is far more accurate than his prognostications.â
Fauci has claimed that Trumpâs re-election campaign is âharassingâ him.
âSince campaign ads are about getting votes, their harassment of me might have the opposite effect of turning some voters off,â the NIAID director told Daily Beast reporters.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden also weighed in on the advertisement following Fauciâs remarks.
âFauci is a man of integrity. After that ad came out saying he said I did not give permission to use that quote, and I wasnât referring to the president. Even when after Fauci said that he didnât say that about the president, the Trump ad campaign said they were going to continue to use the ad knowing it was a lie,â Biden said.
