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White House health adviser Dr Anthony Fauci said he took ‘no pleasure’ in contradicting former President Donald Trump on the Covid-19 pandemic and felt more liberated from power discuss science without facing the reactions of the new administration.
“The idea that you can stand up here and you can talk about what you know, what evidence, what science is, and know that’s it – let the science do the talking. a liberating feeling, “Fauci said Thursday in his first White House press briefing in months.
Fauci, who now advises President Joe Biden, said he takes no pleasure in contradicting Trump, who has often made false claims about the severity of the pandemic as well as the drugs being developed to combat it.
“It was very clear that there were things that were said, whether it was about things like hydroxychloroquine and things like that, that [were] uncomfortable because they weren’t based on scientific facts, “Fauci said.” I can tell you that I don’t take any pleasure in being in a position of contradiction with the president, so it was really something that you didn’t think you could actually say anything about and there wouldn’t be any repercussions about it. “
He said it was “a liberating feeling” to talk about science and “that’s it”.
Throughout the pandemic, Trump has repeatedly criticized the government’s top coronavirus adviser and even suggested firing him. Meanwhile, Fauci took issue with a number of Trump’s comments, including his repeated claims that the US fight against the virus was “turning the corner” when in fact tens of thousands of people were infected daily.
Fauci gave his former boss a not-so-subtle dig, when asked how the pandemic could have played out differently if a team like Biden’s had been in place from the very beginning. “One of the things we’re going to do is be completely transparent, open and honest,” Fauci said. “If things go wrong, don’t point the finger, but to correct them and to make sure everything we do is based on science and evidence.”
Fauci said he discussed those priorities with Biden about 15 minutes before entering the briefing room.
Trump, on the other hand, had consistently downplayed the virus threat. He has regularly disputed any criticism of his administration’s approach to the pandemic and claimed that the United States, which holds the highest number of Covid deaths of any country in the world, has responded better to the virus than almost any other nation. While Fauci and Trump’s coronavirus task force held daily briefings near the start of the epidemic, these regular updates were eventually removed after Trump asked scientists if they could inject disinfectants or light in the body to kill the virus.
Thursday’s press briefing came after Fauci told the World Health Organization earlier today that the United States would remain a member of the international agency under Biden. In May, Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the WHO, but the process is not expected to be finalized until July.
Fauci said the Biden administration plans to work with the other 193 member states to help “strengthen and reform” the United Nations health agency.
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