Donald Trump told a half-truth to Fox News’ Bret Baier that made it to air yesterday.
“You’re not actually allowed to fire him,” he said of Anthony Fauci, “but I wouldn’t let that usually get in my way, it’s one of those things. But I never spent a lot of time with Fauci. Who did is Biden. Fauci became very powerful under Biden.” (READ MORE from Daniel J. Flynn: The Persecution of Alexei Navalny Could Not Happen Here)
Technically, as a civil servant under the Department of Health and Human Services, Fauci remained immune from a direct presidential firing.
Trump’s mouth saying he never spent much time with Fauci conflicts with what the cameras told us during all those press conferences in the first half of 2020.
“I have a very good relationship with Dr. Fauci,” Trump said in July of that year. “I’ve had for a long time…. I find him to be a very nice person. I don’t always agree with him.”
Critics of Fauci did not ever agree with Trump allowing Fauci to flank him at press briefings. Trump perhaps believed a doctor by his side shielded him from incoming criticism. Instead, it provided Fauci credibility and empowered him.
The Trump administration, aside from doing much good, committed three or four massive errors. Placing Fauci in the spotlight stands as one of them.
