Politics

Dr. Fauci Says He Is ‘Absolutely Not’ Surprised Trump Got COVID-19

(Screenshot/Twitter: 60 Minutes)

Shelby Talcott Senior White House Correspondent
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White House Coronavirus Task Force member Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday that he is “absolutely not” surprised President Donald Trump got COVID-19.

Fauci spoke on CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” where he was asked by the network’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook about Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis. LaPook specifically asked whether Fauci was “surprised that President Trump got sick.”

“Absolutely not,” Fauci replied. “I was worried that he was going to get sick when I saw him in a completely precarious situation of crowded, no separation between people, and almost nobody wearing a mask.”

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Fauci was speaking about a White House Rose Garden event held shortly before the president announced he tested positive for COVID-19. The event was held for Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett.

“When I saw that on TV, I said, ‘Oh my goodness. Nothing good can come out of that, that’s got to be a problem,'” Fauci added. “And then sure enough, it turned out to be a super-spreader event.”

Trump was transported to the Walter Reed Military Medical Center following his positive diagnosis. He was discharged after a few days and returned to the White House, where he would later test negative for the virus. (RELATED: Barron Trump Had COVID-19 But Didn’t Suffer Symptoms, First Lady Says)