Director Anthony Fauci of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (left) and U.S. President Donald Trump. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Juhee] U.S. President Donald Trump and the White House have recently moved to quell rumors of discord with Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), amid conflicts related to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
However, on the 13th (local time), Dr. Fauci pointed out that the resurgence of COVID-19 is due to the U.S. not implementing a full lockdown, indicating that the conflict continues.
Local media reported that on the same day, President Trump told reporters at the White House, "I have a very good relationship with Dr. Fauci."
President Trump reportedly said, "I know he is a very nice person. I like him personally," but added, "I don't always agree with him."
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany also explained during a briefing that "the president has had a very good working relationship with Dr. Fauci," and denied claims that the White House was trying to discredit Dr. Fauci as untrue.
However, McEnany was also reported to have belittled Dr. Fauci by describing him as just one of many health officials offering various opinions.
Despite differing views from President Trump, Dr. Fauci, who has continued to speak candidly, persisted in criticizing the government's COVID-19 response amid these White House attacks.
According to CNN and other outlets, Dr. Fauci said in an interview with Stanford Medical School on the same day, "We did not implement a full lockdown, and that is why the number of confirmed cases increased."
He continued, "Our number of confirmed cases had decreased and then stabilized at a fairly high level of about 20,000 cases per day. After reopening the economy, we saw the surge we are witnessing today in California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, and several other states." Currently, the daily number of confirmed cases in the U.S. is about 60,000 to 70,000.
Meanwhile, Dan Scavino, senior advisor for digital strategy at the White House and a close aide to President Trump, posted a photo mocking Dr. Fauci on Facebook the day before.
The photo depicted a faucet shaped like Dr. Fauci, with phrases such as "Schools must remain closed this fall," "Indefinite lockdown," "Shut up and obey," and "Oppose the National Football League (NFL) season," with water gushing out.
The satire appears to be based on the similarity between the word "Faucet" and Dr. Fauci's name.
Meanwhile, Andrew Bates, spokesperson for former Vice President Joe Biden's Democratic campaign, issued a statement on the same day, pointing out that the current crisis arose because President Trump did not heed the warnings and guidelines of medical experts.
Bates strongly criticized, "The president's disgusting attempt to evade responsibility by blaming the nation's top infectious disease authority is yet another example of terrible leadership failure amid the continuing rise in tragic death tolls."
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