Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared to throw cold water on President Donald Trump’s proposed reopening of parts of the United States on May 1st, calling it “overly optimistic.”
“We have to have something in place that is efficient and that we can rely on, and we’re not there yet,” Fauci told AP News.
He described the May 1st date as “a bit overly optimistic” and further seemed to complain about taking part in Trump’s daily press briefings, which he described as “really draining.”
“If I had been able to just make a few comments and then go to work, that would have really been much better,” Fauci said.
“It isn’t the idea of being there and answering questions, which I really think is important for the American public. It’s the amount of time.”
Speculation about tension between Trump and Fauci has swirled in recent weeks, and seemed to come to a head Sunday when Fauci made comments during a CNN interview that some saw as critical of Trump’s handling of coronavirus.
The president later upped the ante by re-tweeting a Twitter post that contained the hashtag “#FireFauci.”
Sorry Fake News, it’s all on tape. I banned China long before people spoke up. Thank you @OANN https://t.co/d40JQkUZg5
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 12, 2020
Trump was confronted by reporters about his tweet during the briefing Monday, which he shrugged off.
“I re-tweeted somebody, I don’t know. They said fire. It doesn’t matter,” Trump said of his tweet.
“I think he’s terrific…this was a person’s view. Not everybody’s happy with Anthony. Not everybody’s happy with everybody,” he added.
Fauci himself spoke to the media during the briefing Monday, appearing to clarify his comments made on CNN, saying that the president had been listening to his recommendations. (RELATED: Former Rep. Ron Paul Calls On Trump To Fire Dr. Fauci, Says Some Are Trying ‘To Have Total Control Over The People’)