A new Trafalgar Group poll spells trouble for the reputation of Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s top medical adviser and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
A narrow majority of Americans, 53.7%, believe Fauci should not resign from his role leading America’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the poll released Thursday. However, a majority of Independents joined a majority of Republicans in wanting him to resign.
Sharp partisan divide on whether #Fauci should resign in leading COVID-19 response (Overall: 53.7% no/46.3% yes):
82.5% no/17.5% yes #Dems
23.4% no/76.6% yes #GOP
41.1% no/58.9% yes #IndsFrom @trafalgar_group/@COSProject #poll. Report: https://t.co/pQjgDJs9LE pic.twitter.com/g1JEVn0wcj
— The Trafalgar Group (@trafalgar_group) January 20, 2022
A huge majority of Democrats, 82.5%, said Fauci should not resign his position to make way for new leadership. Among Independents, 58.9% said he should resign, while 76.6% of Republicans said the same. (RELATED: Fauci Set To Receive Largest Federal Retirement Package Ever)
The poll, commissioned by Convention of States Action, was conducted from Jan. 12 to Jan. 14 and reached 1,081 respondents. It had a margin of error of 2.98%. Trafalgar Group has an A- pollster grade from FiveThirtyEight.
Even as his favorability ratings have taken a tumble since the pandemic began, Fauci has continued to act as a public messenger for the Biden administration’s COVID-19 response during the past year.
Just a day before the Trafalgar poll was conducted, Fauci was grilled by Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul over his attempts to suppress the lab-leak theory of COVID-19 origin. At the same Senate hearing, he was caught on a hot mic calling Republican Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall a “moron.”