Dr. Anthony Fauci says President Trump has not attended a White House Coronavirus Task Force meeting for several months, despite the fact COVID-19 cases are surging and several states are recording record spikes.
Fauci revealed the news during an interview with MSNBC’s Chuck Todd on Friday, providing more insight into his fractious relationship with the Commander-in-chief.
During the chat, the top doctor also declared that he has not personally spoken with the President ‘in a while’.
Trump has repeatedly hit out at Fauci in recent weeks, describing the infectious diseases expert as a ‘disaster’ and an ‘idiot’ who has ‘made mistakes’ and flip-flopped on mask wearing.
It comes as the CDC revealed that COVID cases are on the rise in nearly 80 percent of US states and territories.
On Friday, the country recorded more than 70,000 new cases of the virus, taking the total number of infections to 8.45 million. More than 223,000 Americans have died from the disease.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci told MSNBC’s Chuck Todd Thursday that President Trump has not attended a White House Coronavirus Task Force meeting for several months
During his MSNBC interview, Fauci also claimed that fellow Task Force advisor, Dr. Scott Atlas, was much closer to the President.
Atlas was added to the panel back in August, and his beliefs about the coronavirus appear to jibe more closely with Trump’s. He has been dubbed the ‘anti-Fauci’.
Atlas has argued against lockdowns and school closings, and once declared that COVID-19 was less risky than the flu for children.
‘I definitely don’t have his ear as much as Scott Atlas right now,’ Fauci told MSNBC.
Fauci’s disclosure provided more insight into his fractious relationship with the Commander-in-chief. The pair are pictured together back in April
During his MSNBC interview, Fauci also claimed that fellow Task Force advisor, Dr. Scott Atlas, was much closer to the President
Fauci additionally revealed to the left-wing network that the Coronavirus Task Force are meeting far less frequently than they used to.
‘They [the meetings] are certainly less than they used to be… We’re averaging about one a week,’ he stated.
‘In early spring we were meeting five, six, sometimes seven days a week. A few months ago, when things pivoted around to more of the economic reopening of the country, the number of task force meetings diminished.’
He went on to state that he still speaks with other Task Force doctors, including Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Robert Redfield, at least once a week via video chat.
Vice President Mike Pence heads up the White House Coronavirus Task Force, and Fauci told MSNBC that the VP is still a constant presence.
‘We certainly interact with the Vice President at the task force meetings and he makes our feelings and what we talk about known to the President,’ he stated.
The US recorded more than 70,00 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, taking the total number of infections to 8.45 million
Earlier this week, Trump hit out at Fauci during a sit-down interview with Eric Bolling for America This Week.
‘I get along with him fine, but he’s made mistakes,’ POTUS declared.
‘He said “No masks, don’t wear a mask” and then he said “Wear a mask”. He didn’t want me to stop people coming in from China, but then he admitted it was a great move I made. I overrode him.
‘Having said all of that, I get along with him. I like him,’ Trump stated.
‘You called him a disaster!’ Bolling replied incredulously.
‘He’s made bad moves, but he’s been there a long time,’ the President then conceded.
President Trump (left) hit out at Dr. Anthony Fauci for flip-flopping on mask wearing during an interview with Eric Bolling on Tuesday