Dr. Fauci walking ‘fine line’ by contradicting Trump’s misinformation over fear he’ll be sidelined by angry president
Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has quickly become the most trustworthy member of Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force, is being put in a difficult position because the president keeps delivering misinformation during his press conferences and then the doctor is forced to contradict the president in order to protect the public, according to an MSNBC guest.
Appearing early Sunday morning, Business Insider’s John Haltiwanger told hosts Kendis Gibson and Lindsey Reiser that the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is currently “walking a fine line” when he follows the president to the microphone and feels compelled to shoot down what the president just told the nation.
Addressing the president’s continued claims that two drugs used in treating malaria could help slow the spread of the pandemic, despite evidence that the combination of the two could be deadly, Haltwanger stated that the conflicting statements from Trump and Fauci are a dangerous combination.
“It’s a scary time in the country,” the reporter explained. “And Fauci is walking a very fine line between trying to give the public scientific evidence based on, you know, actual research and not invoking the president’s anger and potentially being sidelined.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time we seen a top official pushed out or sidelined for angering the president if that did occur. Of course, we did not see signs that will happen,” he continued. “Fauci has come up and essentially say there is nothing wrong with hoping this will be an effective treatment, but we still need to do the research and make sure it’s safe. We don’t want people to waste their time taking something that isn’t ultimately effective.”
Haltiwanger later added that health officials he had spoken with hoped that the president would “stop talking” because he is feeding the public too much false information.
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