As Donald Trump continues his effort to discredit and smear Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) came to Fauci’s defense during an interview in which he laughed at the idea he would fire him if Trump demanded it.
According to a recent poll, 67 percent of Americans trust Dr. Fauci more than they trust Trump when it comes to information about the coronavirus and how to deal with the pandemic. In fact, a mere 26 percent actually trust Trump at all.
These numbers underscore the growing rift between Trump and health experts like Fauci who have been urging social distancing and promoting the wearing of masks in public to help stop the spread of a virus that has now killed 140,000 Americans and infected 3.5 million. Both statistics are only rising as Trump and his supporters ignore the threat and the science.
Fauci, however, continues to do his job despite the attacks on his expertise. And now his boss at the NIH — Dr. Francis Collins — is defending him.
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“This is a remarkable scientist who has led NIH’s efforts in infectious disease with great distinction for more than 30 years, and who continues to be our lead in vaccines and therapeutics for COVID-19,” Dr. Collins told STAT News. “The idea of losing that leadership at this critical moment for our nation is unthinkable.”
Indeed, Fauci has served at the NIH under several presidents and helped guide our nation through several epidemics, including the H1N1 virus in 2009 and the Ebola outbreak in 2014. Fauci rose to the occasion both times and his expertise helped prevent the spread of the viruses and saved many lives.
Because Fauci is not a political appointee, Trump cannot directly fire him. Of course, doing so would likely draw significant backlash considering Americans trust him more than they trust Trump right now. But Trump could demand that Collins fire him. Collins, however, knows that doing so would be a stupid move, which is why he laughed at the idea when asked.
Asked whether his answer meant he would refuse to dismiss Fauci even if ordered by the president or health secretary, Collins only laughed.
‘I think you heard my answer,’ he said.”
And Americans should laugh Trump out of office in November and erect a statue of Fauci. Because the good doctor is the one who has America’s best interests at heart.
Featured image via Flickr/White House photo, under Creative Commons license 2.0
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