Dr. Anthony Fauci said that even if he is sometimes at loggerheads with President Donald Trump “he does listen” to what he has to say.
The director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fauci told Science Magazine that “to [President Trump’s] credit, even though we disagree on some things, he listens. He goes his own way. He has his own style. But on substantive issues, he does listen to what I say.”
Responding to a question about how he is doing, the chief medical advisor to the coronavirus task force headed by Vice President Mike Pence told Science Magazine in an interview published Sunday that he does not believe he is infected.
“To my knowledge, I haven’t been fired,” Fauci also added.
Although he may sometimes disagree with Trump, he has backed up the president at times. Fauci said that Trump’s decision earlier on in the crisis to cut off travel from China was “one of the things” America “did right.”
Fauci said that he is “exhausted” from helping to contain COVID-19 in the U.S. and conducting constant media interviews.
Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci stands during a news briefing on the administration’s response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 21, 2020. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
The chief medical advisor noted that he objected to Trump’s suggestion that China could have proclaimed its discovery of the COVID-19 virus three or four months earlier than it did.
“I told the appropriate people, it doesn’t comport, because two or three months earlier would have been September,” he told the magazine. “But I can’t jump in front of the microphone and push him down. OK, he said it. Let’s try and get it corrected for the next time.” (RELATED: Dr. Anthony Fauci Comes Close To Recommending Complete Shutdown Of All Bars And Restaurants)
Fauci said that he reminds the task force to personally practice social distancing and good personal hygiene and especially to eschew handshakes.
“Not only that — we should be physically separating a bit more on those press conferences,” he said. “To his credit, the vice president is really pushing for physical separation of the task force [during meetings]. He keeps people out of the room — as soon as the room gets like more than 10 people or so, it’s ‘Out, everybody else out, go to a different room.'” (RELATED: LIVE UPDATES: Here’s What Every State In America Is Doing To Combat The Spread Of Coronavirus)
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news briefing on the administration’s response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci listen at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 21, 2020. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Fauci added that he is particularly bothered by the close contact those in the task force face when they are on stage presenting updates to the media and responding to questions.
“I keep saying, is there any way we can get a virtual press conference,” he said, according to Science Magazine. “Thus far, no. But when you’re dealing with the White House, sometimes you have to say things one, two, three, four times, and then it happens. So I’m going to keep pushing.”