During an interview Monday night, Dr.Anthony Faucireflected on his startled reaction when former PresidentDonald Trumpmused last April thatpeople might be able to inject disinfectants into their bodiesto protect againstCOVID-19.
“Oh, my goodness gracious,” Fauci, 80, thought when Trump, 74, made the infamous suggestion during a White House press conference last spring.
Trump described it then as “almost like a cleaning” and wondered aloud if it might be helpful in treating the novel coronavirus.
Fauci, who shared his thoughts during aninterview with CNN, was not present at the April 23 press conference.
Federal officials soon walked back Trump’s suggestions and he has since claimed he was being “sarcastic” when referring to the disinfectant, despite video from the press conference.
Fauci told CNN this week that he feared what might come next from Trump’s remarks, given the loyal support he had among many Americans during his presidency.
“I could just see what’s going to happen,” Fauci said. “You’re going to have people who hear that from the president and they’re going to start doing dangerous and foolish things.”
Since Trump left office last week, Fauci has spoken out in a number of interviews about what it was like working for a president who consistently disputed scientific information about the coronavirus.
Notably, Trump undercut his own federal health officials' recommendations about what safety measures Americans should take and openly criticized Fauci on social media, putting the president at odds with the country’s leading infectious disease expert.
President Donald Trump looks on as Dr. Anthony Fauci addresses the media during a coronavirus task force briefing on April 10, 2020.Evan Vucci/AP/Shutterstock
FaucitoldThe New York Timesthis week that he had received death threats while working with the Trump White House, leading him to get his own Secret Service detail. He also recounted one “frightening” moment when he opened a letter and white powder — potentially indicative of anthrax — had clouded out onto his body.
Trump’s response —or lack thereof— to the pandemic continues to be widely criticized, as President Joe Biden’s administration has said it will focus on ramping up the federal government’s effort to distribute COVID-19 vaccines around the country.
But Fauci — who, including Biden, has now worked under seven presidents as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases — said he didn’t consider stepping down from his role.
“Even though there was a lot of extraordinary, surrealistic things going on,” Fauci told CNN, “I felt if I left, there would not be that honest broker there.”
As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from theCDC,WHOandlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
source: people.com
