Top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci indicated on Thursday that he won’t be getting more aggressive in his pushback against the Trump campaign using his quotes out of context and without his permission to make it look like he was praising Trump’s COVID-19 response.
“I’m not contemplating any further action, George,” Fauci told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” anchor George Stephanopolous.
The health official emphasized that he doesn’t “like to be associated with anything political.”
“The way I was juxtaposed in that ad, it made it look very much like I was part of a political campaign,” Fauci said. “And I’m expressing that I don’t like that.”
However, he clarified his previous warning that the misleading ad could “backfire” on the Trump campaign.
“When I said it might backfire, I think if people see that [the Trump campaign is] doing things that are clearly against my will, it’s going to make them look bad,” the doctor told Stephanopolous. “That’s what I meant. Nothing more than that.”
