Fauci responds to Trump tweet

[left-of-center2012]

'I have not been misleading the American public under any circumstances'.

Asked on ABC’s “Good Morning America” about Trump retweeting a post claiming Fauci has “misled the American public on many issues,” Fauci responded: “'I have not been misleading the American public under any circumstances.”

Trump has also called Fauci “a little bit of an alarmist,” but both men have said their relationship remains “very good.”

“I don't tweet. I don't even read them so I don't really want to go there,” Fauci said Tuesday. “I just will continue to do my job no matter what comes out because I think it's very important.”

“I’m just going to certainly continue doing my job. We’re in the middle of a crisis with regard to an epidemic, a pandemic, this is what I do, this is what I’ve been trained for my entire professional life, and I’ll continue to do it,” he added.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/509310-fauci-i-have-not-been-misleading-the-american-public-under-any

[greenjar_01]

1. Imagine being an adult having to do your job while your boss is a tantrum throwing narcissist

Oooooof.

[sarchasm]

19. Whew!

I think you've just described most of the professional working environments in this country.

[greenjar_01]

21. That's sad

[LiberalArkie]

28. Uh, Yea. Thats about it.

[soothsayer]

2. He kind of misled about masks when he worried about ppe for responders

Last edited Tue Jul 28, 2020, 12:09 PM - Edit history (1)

I think he’s apologized.

[Pobeka]

3. That was a tough call on his part, I'll give him a pass.

This is the country that wiped out toilet paper supply for a disease that primarily is not gastro-intestinal.

If Fauci had said masks are helpful, but save the best masks for health care workers back in February, the selfish jerks in this country would have wiped out the best mask supplies for the health care workers.

[soothsayer]

4. Yeah I forgive him for that reason too

[Ms. Toad]

9. I don't. That lie was more dangerous than many of trumps.

Because it came from Fauci. Many people who would otherwise have been wearing masks had to be convinced it was not counterproductive because of that lie, and it is one of the prime arguments offered by anti-maskers: first they tell us not to, then they tell us to wear them, then they tell us they misled misled us -that they knew all along they were helpful, but wanted to keep us from buying all the masks.

Lying because it is an expedient way to achieve a goal is never appropriate -and in Fauci's case, squandered decades of good will and trust he had earned with me.

[Pobeka]

14. I understand your point completely. I still think it was a tough call.

Fauci chose to protect health care workers as much as possible, knowing we need them to lessen mortality/chronic illness in the short term. Was it worth the lie? If states had actually been responsible and shut down in March it would be a different story now.

If you want to get to the real problem, it's selfishness and lack of education of the USA population that forced Fauci to face the reality that telling the truth would kill lots of health care workers.

[patphil]

22. I agree 100%.

The situation in New York was heating up rapidly and the health care workers were already ringing the alarm bell as to availability of PPE's. It was evident the nation, as a whole was totally unprepared for this pandemic.
Much of our PPE production came from China, and we couldn't rely on them to be able to provide for the massive increase in needed supplies.
Fauci made a hard choice. If the health system was decimated with the virus, the end result would be a national tragedy far beyond what we are dealing with now.
So he rolled the dice and chose to protect the ones that were responsible for protecting the population of the country.

I think he made the right choice.

[LymphocyteLover]

26. WTF-- it wasn't a lie! And no way was that worse than anything Trump said.

The general consensus wasn't clear on masks in the US. It wasn't just Fauci.

Science is hard and the consensus changes but there was no LIE. Besides, he was promoting social distancing and quarantines. He didn't lie.

[Ms. Toad]

31. General consensus is not the basis no which doctors make recommendations

Especially not doctors who are on the cutting edge of new research. They base it on research, and by March the research was clear that masks were helpful. I had done the research before I started making masks in early to mid March.

What's more, Fauci acknowledged he discouraged masks not for medical reasons, but because of a concern for shortages, and apologized for it.

It was worse than lies told by Trump because no one with any sense believes Trump. People did believe Fauci. As a result of his - and others'- (white) lie, people who normally have respect for science insisted for far too long that masks were harmful. Even once they stopped insisting they were harmful, they continued to insist that they were useless to protect the wearer (again, disproven as early as March, based on the research I did at the time.

When a known liar lies, that lie has far less impact than when a trusted individual does. When a trusted individual lies (even with good intentions), if the lie itself is harmful (and this one was) it does far more harm than the same lie coming from a known liar.

[LymphocyteLover]

36. FFS, it was not a lie

there WAS a concern about PPE shortages... There was also a concern that they wouldn't stop transmission and that it could lead to other problems. I don't know why you are insisting on calling it a lie.

[Ms. Toad]

39. He acknowledged it was false, and that it was made to discourage a run on masks.

Why do you insist on defending him for statements he has apologized for and has acknowledged were made - not based on science - but to discourage a run on masks?

[LymphocyteLover]

40. Please show me where he said he made a false statement

because I have not seen that

[Ms. Toad]

41. He's said it multiple times

Here's one source. https://www.thestreet.com/video/dr-fauci-masks-changing-directive-coronavirus

"Masks are not 100% protective. However, they certainly are better than not wearing a mask. Both to prevent you, if you happen to be a person who may feel well, but has an asymptomatic infection that you don't even know about, to prevent you from infecting someone else," said Fauci. "But also, it can protect you a certain degree, not a hundred percent, in protecting you from getting infected from someone who, either is breathing, or coughing, or sneezing, or singing or whatever it is in which the droplets or the aerosols go out. So masks work."

So, why weren't we told to wear masks in the beginning?

"Well, the reason for that is that we were concerned the public health community, and many people were saying this, were concerned that it was at a time when personal protective equipment, including the N95 masks and the surgical masks, were in very short supply. And we wanted to make sure that the people namely, the health care workers, who were brave enough to put themselves in a harm way, to take care of people who you know were infected with the coronavirus and the danger of them getting infected."

In other words, we told you it was to make sure that there were masks for health care workers - not because masks weren't helpful -and might be harmful - as he had previously said.

He's said this in multiple interviews, some clearer - soe less clear than this. But the gist of it in every interview is we told you a white lie in order to make sure you didn't run out and buy masks that healthcare workers needed.

And, as I previously noted - I had done enough independent research by mid-March to know it was a lie. Although the evidence supporting for mask wearing is stronger now, it existed at the time Fauci (and others) were making the statements to protect the equipment supply - not our health.

[LymphocyteLover]

42. I'm not sure what your deal, is, but this is crap. Nothing he said is false here.

Fact is, I never heard any consistent message on masks early on. They WERE trying to make sure medical personnel had enough PPE, especially N95 masks. There was such a worry that I donated N95 masks from my lab to the local hospital. They didn't encourage mask use-- but most people were sheltering in place and didn't need masks regularly anyway.

Also the science was not settled on masks here to prevent the spread. Why the hell are you giving Fauci such a hard time when he had to deal with Trump's nonsense?

[Ms. Toad]

43. You have sated precisely what the problem is.

Instead of telling people not to wear masks because they were concerned about not having enough masks for health care workers, they (including Fauci) told people they were not helpful for the general population - and might even be harmful.

That lie - precisely because it came from Fauci - was believed, and that has made it harder to get compliance with mask wearing - because even people who want to do the right thing (and you are apparently an example) believed them. So we had to move not only those resistant to being told by the government what to do to be willing to wear masks - I am constantly STILL fighting people like you who insist the science changed (it didn't) or that masks only protect the person wearing them.

As I previously stated - I did the research in MARCH, There was plenty of evidence there, for anyone who cared to look, that masks were helpful for the general population - including both the sick person and the healthy person. Fauci has acknowledged that. Fauci has acknowledged that he did not give that reason for discouraging maks wearing but, instead, told us a white lie that masks were not useful and were not harmful to actively discourage mask wearing.

I expect people to act with integrity on matters of public health - and when they do not, they lose my trust. You can choose to trust him - but for the time being I don't know whether what he is saying is the truth - or something he is saying, "because he had to deal with Trump's nonsense." My trust on medical issues is not easily won, and once you lie to me it takes a while to re-earn it. Apologizing (as he has done) is a first step. But it will take an apology + actions consistent with telling the truth on matters of public health for a while before he has re-earned it.

Feel free to set your own standards, but I'm done with people who make excuses for the behavior Fauci admits to and has apologized for - and berate me for having higher standards.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

29. Totally agree! He was directly responsible for loss

of life. He should have told the truth - there weren't enough masks. At least then people could tie something on their face.

[Ms. Toad]

32. Yes. The research available in March

had already established that many commonly available fabrics were more than 50% effective, and some were even almost as effective as N-95 masks.

I know the timing because maskmaking groups had started making masks by mid-March. I made one last trip out on March 22 to buy mask-making supplies. I had delayed making that trip until after I had thoroughly researched effectiveness of masks (and materials to make them from), and had ascertained (on the basis of the information in maskmaking groups) that masks were effective and that groups were actively seeking masks.

[cayugafalls]

7. Yes, he did apologize. At the time CDC, WHO and other medical experts were all

saying the same thing. Masks for the general population were not necessary as they had not been fully studied and supplies for first responders were low so they were being overly cautious. Once cloth face coverings were found to be of some benefit (early April) everybody changed their stance and began to recommend that everyone wear them when in crowded areas.

Unfortunately, the sound bites from not just Dr. Fauci, but the Surgeon General and the Task Force was already captured and replayed over and over by conspiracy nuts, regardless of any new studies or announcements.

That is the worst thing about willfully ignorant people like trump supporters and conspiracy nuts, once new evidence based on science (which is a process that sometimes changes its official findings) is released, the willfully ignorant refuse to accept the new evidence and will actually use that change to claim science is wrong and should not be followed or that there is some nefarious reason that they are now changing their view.

Sad that they are all so ignorant.

[LymphocyteLover]

27. yes. Exactly.

[IronLionZion]

23. He did admit that was his biggest mistake

and that's because the Trump administration found efficiencies by not maintaining the national stockpile and continuing to depend on cheap Chinese imports.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

30. And rarely if ever mentioned, Susan Rice spent a day

During transition on pandemic. Preparedness. Guess who? With Flynn! Who was out soon after.

[Dave Starsky]

35. Everything about this pandemic has been botched since Day One.

And that is because we have a "leader' who's not fit to manage the concession stand at a junior-high basketball game, let alone the Presidency.

[IronLionZion]

38. They always promised to make America great again

people misunderstood what that meant

[uponit7771]

5. They guy bragging about passing a dementia test thinks a doctor is wrong? K, put a pin in that

[Hoyt]

6. Fauci did call the risk "minuscule" in mid-February. I think it took him awhile to recognize this

is not just a flu type virus. But, he did come out later with concerns and hasn't come close to trump in terms of BS.


https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/02/17/nih-disease-official-anthony-fauci-risk-of-coronavirus-in-u-s-is-minuscule-skip-mask-and-wash-hands/4787209002/

[cayugafalls]

8. It wasn't just Dr. Fauci, it was the entire scientific community (CDC, WHO, Surgeon General, etc.)

There were ongoing studies that did not conclude until early April and that is when all those other organizations changed their stand and began to recommend cloth face coverings (combined with social distancing, hand washing) when in crowded situations.

Unfortunately, the sound bites were already in the hands of the conspiracy nuts and the willfully ignorant and no matter what the new science was saying, it was all BS due to the fact that they do not trust science anyways and will use any change of position to ram their anti-science agenda down people's throats.

I fault the administration of Trump for not continuing to prepare the country for the Pandemic as Obama had laid the groundwork and Trumps dismantling of it caused the shortage of PPE and the overtly cautious stance on PPE for the masses.

[Ms. Toad]

12. It is correct that it was more than just Fauci.

But it is not true that it took that long to establish that masks were useful. There were plenty of studies by early March to super a recommendation to wear masks. The recommendations against doing so were based not on science, but on fear of hoarding.

[luvtheGWN]

13. We went into lockdown here in Ontario March 16.

We were only advised to stay home, wash hands frequently and, if we had to go out, maintain physical distancing. We were advised not to bother with masks by health officials.

At the time, our medical folks were still learning about this coronavirus and thought it was only lethal to the elderly with underlying conditions (much like the flu that circulates every year). And the first people it hit (and badly) were in long-term care facilities.

Finally, around the end of April, it was "highly recommended" that we wear a face covering, because it was discovered that asymptomatic people could pass it along without realizing they might have it. So masks weren't meant to protect us from other people, but rather TO protect others in case we had it ourselves. So if everyone wore a mask, the virus couldn't spread.

Fortunately, we didn't have government officials lying to us and telling us it was a hoax, or that it would disappear in warm weather....

[Ms. Toad]

16. There was plenty of evidence by March16 that masks were effective.

Even that masks protected not only others, but the wearer, as well.

At that time I was starting to make masks, and had done the research in that context. The recommendations, even at that time, were supply-based, not science-based. It is true that the evidence has gotten even stronger since then, but it is not true that it took until late April before there was evidence.

[Jakes Progress]

10. Could be in danger of becoming a Mueller.

Fauci is playing by the gentleman's rules, the dignified and refined fashion.

But he is up against a lying sociopath who ignores the law and truth.

I fear he will fare no better than Mueller who put too much faith in the good will of men in office.

[JDC]

11. I feel ashamed that this great man is put in this position by our "leaders"

[Pobeka]

15. +1 !!! n/t

[sarchasm]

20. KnR!

[iluvtennis]

17. I forgive Fauci/other health experts on assertion that masks weren't that helpful. That was FEBRUARY

This is novel virus and new learnings are made every day.

I think Fauci would have resigned months ago from the bad treatment from trump, but he persevered. He stayed for ALL OF US. He figured he could do more good for all of us if he were an insider. I applaud him for that.

[yaesu]

18. the country fighting covid and the tRump crime family all at the same time. nt

[maryellen99]

24. Trump wants to fire Fauci so bad and knows he can't nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

25. It wasn't just 'misled'; Trump claimed Fauci had let people die to make Trump look bad

https://www.mediaite.com/online/trump-goes-on-hydroxychloroquine-twitter-binge-retweets-anti-mask-conspiracies-and-false-claims-that-drug-is-cure-for-covid-19/

Trump is paranoid; he thinks a subordinate is committing major crimes to make him look bad. That's the kind of thing that should get anyone taken out of their job, but especially a president with access to nuclear codes, classified information and so on.

[blakstoneranger]

33. BE BEST!

Just like a bully to take advantage of a gov employee because you know he can't fight back. Be Best!

[blakstoneranger]

34. GERMAPHOBE!!

"Despite these results, Trump famously said he took the drug for two weeks to prevent getting the virus and he has occasionally circled back to his early cheerleading for the drug, which earned widespread criticism."

I KNOW A GERMAPHOBE AND THERE IS NO WAY THEY WOULD PUT A HALF-TESTED DRUG IN THEIR BODIES UNLESS IT WAS THOROUGHLY TESTED AND PROVEN SAFE!!! cleanliness, cleanliness.

TRUMP IS LYING!! TRUMP IS LYING!! TRUMP IS LYING!! TRUMP IS LYING!!

[Dave Starsky]

37. I don't know any germophobes who would shake a porn star's hand.

Let alone have unprotected sex with them and even INSIST on not wearing a rubber.

Germophobe, my ass.