President Donald Trump pushed back against Dr. Anthony Fauci’s suggestion that the upcoming NFL season may have to be canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“Tony Fauci has nothing to do with NFL Football,” Trump tweeted Friday. “They are planning a very safe and controlled opening. However, if they don’t stand for our National Anthem and our Great American Flag, I won’t be watching!!!”
Tony Fauci has nothing to do with NFL Football. They are planning a very safe and controlled opening. However, if they don’t stand for our National Anthem and our Great American Flag, I won’t be watching!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 19, 2020
Fauci told CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta earlier this week that he was not optimistic about football season being able to take place unless players were isolated from the rest of the community to avoid spreading the virus. (RELATED: President Trump Warns ‘Looters And Lowlifes’ Against Disrupting Tulsa Rally)
“Unless players are essentially in a bubble — insulated from the community and they are tested nearly every day — it would be very hard to see how football is able to be played this fall,” Fauci said. “If there is a second wave, which is certainly a possibility and which would be complicated by the predictable flu season, football may not happen this year.
The NFL responded to Fauci Thursday, saying they were working on a “rapid-result testing program” and other “rigorous protocols.” (RELATED: Laura Ingraham On Fauci’s Latest Warning: ‘The Medical Deep State Strikes Again’)
“We are developing a comprehensive and rapid-result testing program and rigorous protocols that call for a shared responsibility from everyone inside our football ecosystem,” NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills said in a statement. “This is based on the collective guidance of public health officials, including the White House task force, the CDC, infectious disease experts, and other sports leagues.”