Fauci Praises Biden’s Covid Precautions, Says He Avoids West Wing Due To ‘All The Infections’

Topline

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top figure in the federal government’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic, offered praise for the Biden campaign and a mix of criticism and plaudits for President Donald Trump and his administration in an interview with the Washington Post.

Key Facts

Key Background

Fauci has been increasingly vocal in recent weeks as cases have risen rapidly across the country moving into the winter. His outspokenness also comes against the backdrop of an executive order Trump signed earlier this month reducing protections for government civil servants, like Fauci, and in effect making it easier to fire them. 

Tangent

Trump and Fauci have disagreed on the severity of the pandemic, with Trump claiming the U.S. is “rounding the turn” on the virus on 43 of the last 61 days – including every day since Oct. 12 – as Fauci warns the U.S. may not return to normal until 2022.

Crucial Quote

“At one point during the interview, Fauci said he needed to be careful with his words because he would be blocked from doing appearances in the future,” wrote Post reporters Josh Dawsey and Yasmeen Abutaleb.

Chief Critic

“It’s unacceptable and breaking with all norms for Dr. Fauci, a senior member of the President’s Coronavirus Task Force and someone who has praised President Trump’s actions throughout this pandemic, to choose three days before an election to play politics,” White House spokesperson Judd Deere told the Post, asserting Fauci has chosen to “criticize the President in the media and make his political leanings known by praising the President’s opponent” instead of pushing internally for a change in strategy.

Big Number

62%. That’s the share of voters who rate Fauci’s handling of the virus as “good” or “excellent” in a Politico/Morning Consult poll released earlier this month. Just 29% rated Fauci’s handling “fair” or “poor.” By contrast, just 38% gave Trump positive marks for his virus response, while 57% rated it negatively.

What To Watch For

The pandemic may prove to be Trump’s undoing on Tuesday as polls have shown him trailing Biden by an overwhelming margin on the issue, which voters consistently rate as one of the most important in the election. A CNN poll released Thursday found that Biden is favored on the virus by 57% of likely voters, while Trump is favored by just 39%, with 50% of voters saying “the worst is yet to come” in the pandemic. Biden leads by 12 points overall in the poll, 54% to 42%.

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