Anthony Fauci, the star doctor who contradicts Donald Trump
What does Anthony Fauci say about the pandemic in the US? As the country plunges into crisis, more and more citizens pay more attention to the president's advisor. And this one contradicts Trump over and over again.
Last week, Donald Trump was again looking to blame for the coronavirus crisis in the United States, during an interview on Fox, where he, in fact, he felt at home. Perhaps for this reason, Trump dared to speak about Dr. Anthony Fauci, saying that the immunologist "is a good man, but he made many mistakes." Did the president expect many viewers to view the scientist critically as well?
Emptying the desk?
If Fauci had another role, if he were, for example, White House chief of staff or security adviser, he would have immediately taken things off his desk. But it is also possible that the 79-year-old immunologist did not see the interview. And if he had, he probably would have turned off the television with his famous smile. And period.
The scientist does not have to fear for his position, and even less for his reputation, regardless of how angry the president of the United States is. Since 1984, Fauci has been the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), an advisor to US presidents since Ronald Reagan, and an internationally recognized expert in his field. The doctor had already made a name for himself in the United States in the 1980s when he launched grassroots research into the fight against the HIV virus. Fauci is one of the pioneers in the study of the so-called immune regulation in humans. In Wikipedia there are 45 honorary doctorate titles that he has been adding during his career.
Insults in your career
The newspapers were already writing about him when AIDS spread around the world, and Tom Hanks gave him a face, in the movie "Philadelphia." Fauci was the world leader in research on the disease. Even then he had to endure the insults of the recently deceased LGBT activist Larry Kramer. "He called me a murderer," Fauci recalled during an interview with PBS News Hour. Those affected in the US by the HIV virus at that time demanded faster and better help.
Dangerous warnings
In the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, the immunologist was often seen with Donald Trump during his briefings in the White House press room. However, joint appearances have become less frequent. Fauci will not regret not appearing frequently next to the president, while he recommends the population to take disinfectants against the virus. Trump, on his part, is trying to reduce Fauci's influence over public opinion, because his warnings are dangerous to him.
The scientist said that the virus is the "worst nightmare", due to its high degree of contagion, in an event organized by the American newspaper "The Hill", while the president tries to reopen the States and revitalize the economy of the country. Hadn't Donald Trump said that the virus would just disappear the same way it arrived? Fauci, on the contrary, criticized that some states had abandoned confinement too soon.
Michael Specter, an American journalist specializing in health issues, described in "The New Yorker" magazine how Anthony Fauci became the leading doctor in the United States. According to Specter, Trump and Fauci have things in common: They are both in their 70s, from New York, and very direct. There the similarities ended.
Fauci is known for his work discipline. And the scientist describes himself as "totally apolitical and without ideology."
The star of the night
How does the story continue? The president of the Americans always says that the country will fare well from the pandemic, while his adviser assumes the role of warning the nation. American citizens meanwhile wonder if Trump is trying to get rid of Fauci. In a broadcast of the well-known program "Saturday Night Live", actor Brad Pitt appeared with a gray wig, glasses and a tie, representing the fiduity of Anthony Fauci.
The Hollywood star parodied the scientist with such exactness, raising his arms in the air and emphasizing almost every word: “Rumor has it that the president wants to fire me.” The star of the night was not Brad Pitt, but Anthony Fauci .
