Dr. Anthony Fauci shared that a smoother transition would aide against the coronavirus pandemic as the rift between he and President Donald Trump continues to grow.
Read More: Crowd yells ‘Fire Fauci’ at rally, Trump says wait until after election
During an appearance on CNN, Dr. Fauci focused on the need to immediately begin working with President-elect Joe Biden and his transition team. He expressed the need for a seamless exchange of information between the outgoing administration and the incoming new leaders.
“I’ve been through multiple transitions now, having served six presidents for 36 years. It’s very clear that that transition process that we go through, that time period measured in several weeks to months, is really important in a smooth handing over of the information,” he remarked.
“It’s almost like passing a baton in a race. You don’t want to stop and then give it to somebody. You want to essentially keep going, that’s what transition is.”
The medical expert said the current POTUS has not attended an official coronavirus task force meeting in quite some time. When asked by Jake Tapper the last time POTUS has attended a coronavirus task force meeting, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases shared it had been months since Trump sat for the briefing.
“It was months ago, but when we have our task force meeting, it’s run by Vice President [Mike] Pence. The vice president then translates that to the president himself, but the last time the president was physically at a taskforce was several months ago.”
Read More: Fauci warns of COVID-19 surge, opposes Trump’s response
Trump has not been quiet about his opposition to Fauci throughout the coronavirus pandemic. theGrio reported the president suggested he would fire the public health expert during a campaign event before the 2020 election. The crowd at the Miami rally cheered and yelled “fire Fauci,” as the president stood before them, seemingly accepting the challenge.
Since Biden has been named the 46th President of the United States, he has initiated plans to combat the virus, despite the lack of concession by 45. On Twitter, the former vice president acknowledged he would continue to enlist Dr. Fauci during his administration. He wrote in June, “If I’m elected, I’ll immediately reach out to Dr. Fauci and ask him to continue his incredible service to our country.”
His newly-formed coronavirus advisory board includes multiple scientists and doctors who have served in previous administrations with several experts on public health, vaccines, and infectious diseases.
Dr. Fauci continued to extend his distance from Trump and his advisers as the COVID-19 cases continue to grow. He does not agree with any of the opinions and advice offered by Dr.Scott Atlas, the doctor advising Trump currently. As a guest on the TODAY show, he explained his opposition. Atlas has spoken out against lockdowns and closing businesses.
“I don’t want to say anything against Dr. Atlas as a person, but I totally disagree with the stand he takes. I just do, period,” Fauci said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States has seen 10,984,398 cases of COVID-19 and 245,470 deaths since January 21, 2020. and cases continue to rise. Biden virus official Dr. Vivek Murthy said a nationwide lockdown would be a last resort response to the latest outbreak.
theGrio reported that Dr. Fauci is hopeful a virus vaccine could be available for all citizens by Spring 2021.
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