Fauci Says He Was Worried About Catching COVID When Trump WH Was ‘Super-Spreader Location’

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, looks on as President Donald Trump delivers remarks about coronavirus vaccine development in the Rose Garden of the White Hous... Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, looks on as President Donald Trump delivers remarks about coronavirus vaccine development in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 15, 2020. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden and top COVID-19 adviser, says he was nervous about having to go to the White House when the virus ran rampant there during the Trump presidency.

Fauci told Axios in an interview clip posted on Monday that at 80 years old, he was well aware of being at high risk of suffering a “serious outcome” from a COVID-19 infection.

“I didn’t fixate on that, but it was in the back of my mind because I had to be out there,” the doctor said. “I mean, particularly when I was going to the White House every day, when the White House was sort of a super-spreader location. I mean, that made me a little bit nervous.”

The White House saw a spate of infections when it was occupied by ex-President Donald Trump, who refused to wear a mask, as did many of his staffers. The Rose Garden party in honor of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett in September proved to be a particularly infamous super-spreader event at the White House, and Trump was hospitalized for the virus not long afterward.

After Biden won the election, his transition team made plans to have every area of the East and West Wings cleaned and disinfected immediately after Trump’s departure.

Additionally, several hundred Biden aides received the vaccine.

Latest News
87
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. Thank FSM you prevailed. We couldn’t make it through this without your wise counsel.

  2. Somewhat related miscellany.

    Politifact is unique in it’s ability to “bothsides” fact-checking.

    Seriously, who takes these woolly-headed dungpigeons seriously? Giving stuff haphazardly to the states and then letting them do whatever the fuck they want is not a national strategy”.

  3. Or his strategic face-palming.

  4. Trump and his “administration” is in the Rear View Mirror.

  5. Way off topic.

    Mrs. Von Holst brough home Indian food for lunch unexpectedly and I was Naan-plussed.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

81 more replies

Participants

Avatar for discobot Avatar for playitagainrowlf Avatar for deuce Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for mickeyg Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for 26degreesrising Avatar for jkrogman Avatar for tao Avatar for pshah Avatar for mainemomma Avatar for tena Avatar for docd Avatar for misterneutron Avatar for kimaanderson Avatar for edhedh Avatar for dannydorko Avatar for maximus Avatar for joce_m Avatar for euglena4056 Avatar for rascal_crone Avatar for thomaspaine Avatar for Scoutmom

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: