Fauci to warn young of Covid-19 risks as White House continues to attack him

Under attack by Donald Trump and White House officials, Anthony Fauci was nonetheless scheduled to speak to Georgetown students on Tuesday about the coronavirus pandemic and its risks to young people.

It was another instance of the senior public health official, who has been barred from major media appearances, finding other ways to address the public.

In a talk on Monday at Stanford University’s medical school, for example, Fauci, America’s leading infectious disease expert, called for a “step back” in state reopening efforts as cases and deaths continue to rise.

According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, the US has recorded more than 3.3m cases of Covid-19, and more than 135,000 deaths.

“We haven’t even begun to see the end of it yet,” Fauci said.

Last week, Fauci told the Financial Times he had “a reputation of speaking the truth at all times and not sugar-coating things”, which he said he thought might complicate his relationship with the president and other White House officials.

He also said he had not briefed Trump in months and had not seen the president since the beginning of June.

The White House then turned on Fauci, attempting to discredit him by disseminating a list of statements made to media outlets which it said were in error.

According to ABC News, Fauci, 79, has been referred by top Trump aides as “Dr Gloom and Doom”. On Monday, Trump insisted he liked Fauci “personally”, and said: “I find him to be a very nice person. I don’t always agree with him.”

White House officials have denied attempting to tarnish Fauci’s reputation. The press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, rejected claims the administration was disseminating “opposition research” – scandalous information used for political ends – about its own official.

“There are a number of scientists who are experts in various issues,” McEnany said, “and various specialties, but the president takes the full opinions of the taskforce and the varying opinions sometimes and moves forward in the way he thinks is best for the country.”

McEnany did not deny the White House sent the material, however, saying instead it was a response to an inquiry from the Washington Post.

A majority of states are seeing increases in coronavirus cases and deaths. On Monday, the US reported 61,492 new cases, the second-highest day on record. Republican-led states such as Texas, Florida and Georgia have reported record daily totals. Montana, North Dakota, Hawaii, Alaska and Idaho are among states seeing the fastest daily increases.

Trump supporters and anti-government groups have accused Fauci, who has served under every president since Ronald Reagan, of being part of a “Deep State” conspiracy, working against the president.

Nonetheless, Fauci has maintain a higher approval rating among the public than members of the administration. A New York Times poll, for example, found that 67% of respondents trusted Fauci’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak compared with only 26% who trusted Trump.

Recent polling indicates that three in five Americans think that the “worst is yet to come”.

Read the original article at The Guardian