President Donald Trump is adamant his administration is not trying to discredit Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nationās top infectious disease expert, but he is claiming Fauci tends to raise the alarm amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The host of Fox Newsā āFox News Sundayā Chris Wallace pointed Trump to a tweet of a cartoon issued by Dan Scavino, the White House deputy chief of staff for communications, mocking Fauci.
The cartoon depicts Fauci as a āleakerā and an āalarmist.ā
Wallace asked Trump why Scavino would say that.
āWell, I donāt know that heās a leaker. Heās a little bit of an alarmist,ā Trump said. āThatās okay. A little bit of an alarmist.ā
Check out his comments below:
Trump went on to reiterate he has a āgreatā relationship with Fauci.
He listed some of the mistakes Fauci has made in handling the pandemic.
āDr. Fauci, at the beginning, said āthis will pass, donāt worry about it, this will pass.ā He was wrong. Dr. Fauci said donāt ban China, donāt ban China, I did he then admitted I was right,ā Trump said.
Wallace asked the president why his administration would be involved in a campaign to discredit Fauci.
Trump replied, āWeāre not.ā
Other members of the Trump administration have expressed their criticism of Fauci.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro penned an op-ed in USA Today targeting Fauciās credibility, as IJR previously reported.
Alyssa Farah, White House Director of Strategic Communications, released a statement the following day arguing the op-ed was not adequately reviewed and is āthe opinion of Peter alone.ā
As he left the White House on Wednesday, Trump was asked about the op-ed, as IJR previously reported.
āHe shouldnāt be doing that,ā Trump said.
Vice President Mike Pencecalled Fauci a āvaluedā member of the White House coronavirus task force on Wednesday during a campaign press call.
During an interview with The Atlantic, Fauci responded to reports of the Trump administration trying to discredit him.
He called the attempts āa bit bizarreā and said it only hurts Trump in the end.