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White House Says Fauci Playing Politics In Critique Of Virus Response

Fauci tells Washington Post that Biden sees virus from public health perspective while Pres. Trump focuses on reopening country for economic reasons.
Posted at 5:09 PM, Nov 01, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-01 17:09:30-05

As U.S. cases of coronavirus inch toward 100,000 new cases per day, Dr. Anthony Fauci is drawing heat from the White House for critiquing the Trump administration's pandemic response. 

In a Washington Post interview, Fauci said the upcoming winter season will bring "a whole lot of hurt" for Americans as more people will be inside. He said looking at the current state of the country's COVID-19 response, things "could not possibly be positioned more poorly." 

Asked about the difference between President Trump and challenger Joe Biden, Fauci said Biden's campaign is "taking it seriously from a public health perspective" while the Trump administration focuses more on reopening the economy. 

Since his bout with the coronavirus, President Trump has hosted rallies where attendees aren't required to wear masks and has expressed irritation with the constant attention on the pandemic. 

The White House responded to Fauci's comments...accusing him of being politically driven for critiquing the Trump administration's pandemic response and comparing it to Biden's views.

White House spokesman Judd Deere said, "It's unacceptable and breaking with all norms for Dr. Fauci, a senior member of the President's Coronavirus Taskforce and someone who has praised President Trump's actions throughout this pandemic, to choose three days before an election to play politics."

Contains footage from CNN.