Dr. Fauci: Trump Administration Attacking Me “Ultimately Hurts the President”

Dr. Anthony Fauci has said he finds the Trump administration’s attacks on him “bizarre” and he thinks the effort to damage his reputation just hurts the President.

The infectious diseases expert gave a series of interviews to The Atlantic this week where he responded to the recent White House push to discredit him.

“You know, it is a bit bizarre. I don’t really fully understand it,” Fauci said.

“Ultimately, it hurts the President to do that,” he said.

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“When the staff lets out something like that and the entire scientific and press community push back on it, it ultimately hurts the President.”

“I think if you talk to reasonable people in the White House they realize that was a major mistake on their part because it doesn’t do anything but reflect poorly on them, and I don’t think that was their intention,” he said.

“I cannot figure out in my wildest dreams why they would want to do that.”

Fauci also responded Peter Navarro’s recent op-ed criticizing him. The article has been the center of a major headache for the administration.

“I can’t explain Peter Navarro,” Fauci said. “He’s in a world by himself.”

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Darragh Roche

Darragh Roche is a journalist covering U.S. politics and media