President Trump Says He'll Fire Dr. Anthony Fauci After Election

Source: Anadolu Agency / Getty

President Donald Trump has used the campaign trail to drum up a sense of bravado in the face of a still-ongoing pandemic that has the United States as the world leader in deaths related to COVID-19. In one of Trump’s frenzied rallies, the former reality television show host suggested he’d fire Dr. Anthony Fauci after the election.

During a late-night campaign stop in Florida, the crowd began a resounding chant of “Fire Fauci!” which played into the contentious relationship between President Trump and the leading infectious diseases expert. In response to the chant, the COVID-19 Comrade-In-Chief essentially played into the division.

“Don’t tell anybody, but let me wait until a little bit after the election,” Trump said, prompting applause. “I appreciate the advice.”

In several instances, Trump has either downplayed Dr. Fauci’s advice on handling the coronavirus pandemic to saying he doesn’t always agree with his assessments. It doesn’t need to be said, but Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, didn’t get his medical degree from a cereal box top. He earned his medical degree from Cornell University, part of the lauded Ivy League.

Part of this angst between Trump and Fauci can be traced to the early days of the pandemic and the doctor’s outlook on how the Trump administration is handling things. Fauci, who has been accused of “playing politics” after a recent Washington Post interview went wide in where he was critical of Trump’s coronavirus approach, can’t be fired under federal law by Trump but a complicated set of circumstances could lead to his ouster should the administration pursue a split.

Reactions to President Donald Trump’s “Fire Fauci” response have cropped up on Twitter and we’ve got some of those reactions below.

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Photo: Getty

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