On Tuesday afternoon, President Donald Trump held a briefing regarding his response to the pandemic that—as of that day—killed more than 150 thousand Americans.
The President lamented that National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases Director, Dr. Anthony Fauci, is generally more trusted by the public to deliver accurate information regarding the virus and its prevention.
According to a New York Times and Siena College poll conducted last month, 67 percent of Americans trust Fauci for information on the pandemic, but only 26 percent trust Trump regarding the same.
Never one to share the limelight, new reporting from the Times has emerged regarding Trump's sudden announcement that he'd be throwing the first pitch at the Yankees game on August 15. According to the Times, Trump hadn't contacted the Yankees at all, nor had the team contacted him. Trump was jealous of the attention Fauci was getting by throwing the first pitch at the Washington Nationals game on July 24.
The President assumed that his longstanding relationship with the New York Yankees President Randy Levine would ensure him a spot. By the weekend, Trump claimed that he was too busy with what he erroneously called the "China Virus" to attend.
That doesn't mean he's done being jealous of Fauci. On Monday evening the President retweeted numerous tweets criticizing Fauci, including one saying that he misled the people regarding hydroxychloroquine—the anti-malarial drug Trump has inexplicably been urging the Americans to consider an effective treatment of the virus.
And at the press briefing on Tuesday, Trump expressed displeasure that Fauci was so popular.
President Trump on Dr. Fauci: "He's got this high approval rating. So, why don't I have a high approval rating?"
On Fauci and Dr. Birx: "They are highly thought of, but nobody likes me. It can only be my personality, that's all." pic.twitter.com/rcVbzBXuSQ
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 28, 2020
The President said of Fauci:
"For the most part, we've done pretty much what he and others...recommended, and he's got this high approval rating, so why don't I have a high approval rating with respect—and the administration—with respect to the virus? We should have it very high...so it sort of is curious, a man works for us, with us, very closely, Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx also, highly thought of, and yet they're highly thought of but nobody likes me. It can only be my personality, that's all.
In some ways, people assured, he was right.
This is the only time I have ever agreed with one of his statements. ❤️🇺🇸💙
— corgimom68 (@corgimom68) July 28, 2020
They say realization is the first step to improvement right?
— Jan Jödicke (@JodickeJan) July 28, 2020
This might be the first time he hasn't lied
— Ashley N. Jones (@AshJ1130) July 28, 2020
He's at least got that part right!
— LGManix (@LgManix) July 28, 2020
In a rare moment of self-awareness ....
— Alterdox (@Alterdox) July 28, 2020
Fact Check: True
— 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐧 (@CRobertBuchanan) July 28, 2020
Trump said that because Fauci works with his administration, the administration should have a high approval rating too—but there's just one problem.
Trump himself routinely contradicts Fauci's warnings, and people have noticed.
What has happened to the Republican Party? They say nothing while Trump silences the CDC recommendations and contradicts Dr Fauci by saying his science based answer is “not acceptable." People are dying because of this failure of the GOP to follow medical science.
— Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) May 14, 2020
MAGA Twitter is starting another one of their astroturfed/artificially amplified “Fire Fauci" campaigns because Dr. Fauci publicly discussed scientific evidence about #COVID19 that contradicts Trump's manufactured reality.
— Caroline Orr (@RVAwonk) May 12, 2020
Y'all are sending death threats to Dr. Fauci??? Because he contradicts Trump? You are really threatening the man because he is doing his job, which is trying to keep Americans safe?
Do you have any idea how stupid we look to the rest of the world?#coronavirus
— Baylor Chomat (@baycho95) July 25, 2020
Fauci, like other members of the virus task force, has been absent from recent briefings.
@SecretaryBurgum/X
@Doug Ellin/X
@evanrachelwood/Instagram