Fauci doesn't care any more

For months as Trump undercut his own medical experts, sidelined scientists and refused to take basic steps to control the virus while mocking former Vice President Joe Biden for wearing a mask, the nation's top infectious disease specialist held his tongue and took the President's attacks in stride as he continued to plead with the American people to socially distance and wear masks.

But Fauci's restraint appeared to have evaporated in a Washington Post interview published Saturday night, in which he called out the White House for allowing its strategy for fighting the virus to be shaped in part by a neuroradiologist with no training in the field of infectious disease -- who granted an interview to a Kremlin-controlled propaganda network the same day Fauci's remarks were released.

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At a time when Trump is downplaying the rising cases in the vast majority of states, dangerously holding huge rallies with few masks and no social distancing, and lodging the false and outlandish claim that doctors are exaggerating the number of Covid-19 deaths for profit, Fauci told the Post that the nation is "in for a whole lot of hurt."

"All the stars are aligned in the wrong place" as the country heads indoors in colder weather, Fauci told the newspaper in an interview late Friday -- a day when the US set a global record for the most daily cases and the nation surpassed 229,000 deaths. "You could not possibly be positioned more poorly."

Fauci, who is widely trusted by the public after a lengthy career serving under six presidents from both parties, said Meadows was being candid in the interview last weekend where he told Tapper it was not possible to control the virus. Fauci has adopted the polar opposite strategy by repeatedly telling Americans that they can change the trajectory of the virus and save lives if they adhere to mask use, social distancing protocols and other safety precautions.

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Fauci did not mince words describing what he views as the untoward influence of Dr. Scott Atlas, a controversial figure who has become the President's de facto Covid adviser.

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"I have real problems with that guy," the Washington Post quoted Fauci as saying about Atlas. "He's a smart guy who's talking about things that I believe he doesn't have any real insight or knowledge or experience in. He keeps talking about things that when you dissect it out and parse it out, it doesn't make any sense."

  CNN

Trump supporters are not known for parsing and dissecting what anyone says. They simply respond to phrases and key words, like Pavlov's dogs.

Atlas -- known for his out-of-the-mainstream views about the coronavirus, including the potential benefits of herd immunity -- made dubious claims in a 27-minute interview to RT, the propaganda network that had played a major role in the Kremlin's efforts to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election and later was forced to formally register with the Justice Department as an agent of the Russian government.

"New interview. Lockdowns, facts, frauds ... if you can't handle truth, use a mask to cover your eyes and ears," Atlas tweeted Saturday, sharing the interview in which he also criticized public health experts. Atlas did not have clearance from the White House for the interview -- which RT said was done on White House property -- and senior aides raised concerns internally after Atlas appeared on the network, a senior White House official told CNN.

On Sunday, Atlas tweeted an apology for doing the interview with RT, saying he "was unaware they are a registered foreign agent."

"I regret doing the interview and apologize for allowing myself to be taken advantage of. I especially apologize to the national security community who is working hard to defend us," Atlas said in the tweet.

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Atlas responded to Fauci Saturday night in a tweet comprised of a series of hashtags that accused him of engaging in politics and mocked Fauci for the ceremonial first pitch that he threw at the opening game of the Washington Nationals.

Brilliant.

In a statement, White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere sharply criticized Fauci, claiming he was inappropriately playing politics a few days before Election Day.

"It's unacceptable and breaking with all norms for Dr. Fauci, a senior member of the President's Coronavirus Taskforce and someone who has praised President Trump's actions throughout this pandemic, to choose three days before an election to play politics," Deere said in the statement.

Dr. Fauci is breaking with all norms, is he? Who would do that?

Deere appeared to be referring to the contrast that Fauci drew in the interview between the Trump and Biden campaign's differing approaches to the pandemic. Biden's campaign, he was quoted as saying, "is taking it seriously from a public health perspective," while the Trump campaign is viewing the virus through the lens of "the economy and reopening the country."

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But it was Trump's campaign that tried to play politics with Fauci when it featured him in a campaign ad without his consent and took his words out of context.

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White House communications director Alyssa Farah said in a Fox News interview Sunday that she spoke with Fauci that morning and said at times the administration reminds him that he sits on the White House coronavirus task force.

"He's somebody who's highly respected but at times we remind him, you sit on this task force. If you have concerns about our response effort, then please by all means raise them, but a lot of us are working around the clock, the President being the number one person to defeat this virus," she said.

Asked separately by CNN's Sarah Westwood if Trump still has faith in Fauci, Farah offered a brief response: "Yes we do," she said.

I probably don't need to tell you what happened next.

President Donald Trump suggested to a Florida crowd he may fire Dr. Anthony Fauci after the election.

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Speaking after midnight following a full day of campaigning, the President was complaining about news media coverage of Covid-19 when the crowd broke out into a "Fire Fauci" chant.

  CNN

I don't believe for an instant that those crowd chants (at least when they're a new one) are spontaneously started by some random dipshit in the crowd.

"Don't tell anybody, but let me wait until a little bit after the election," Trump said to cheers. "I appreciate the advice."

Later, Trump claimed Fauci is "a nice guy but he's been wrong a lot."

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Under federal law, Trump doesn't have the power to directly fire Fauci, a career civil servant, and remove him from government. He could try ordering his political appointees to dismiss him, but it would be a time-consuming process that Fauci could appeal.

If Trump gets four more years, and if the Senate isn't flipped, I don't expect we'll retain any laws restricting presidential power.

I commend Dr. Fauci for speaking out, but I still hold him responsible for telling us in the beginning that masks don't work simply because the Trump administration didn't have a plan to get needed PPE to health care workers. That was a terrible and fatal error.  

As of early Monday morning, more than 9.2 million people across the US have contracted coronavirus, and more than 230,000 people have died.

By the way...speaking after midnight?

Jesus Christ. He really is needing a pacifier.

UPDATE:

What drug is he on?