Fauci Objects to Being Featured in Trump Campaign Ad Touting Covid Response: My Comments ‘Taken Out of Context’
Dr. Anthony Fauci is not happy he is being used in a new ad from President Donald Trump’s campaign to tout his coronavirus response.
Several months ago, Mark Levin spoke with Fauci on his Fox News show — he has since publicly trashed Fauci a number of times — and asked him, “Have you ever seen this big of a coordinated response by an administration to such a threat — a health threat?”
During that interview back in March, Fauci said the coordinated response has been “impressive” and said, “I can’t imagine that that under any circumstances that anybody could be doing more.”
Months later, the Trump campaign is using those remarks to try and tout the progress the U.S. has made on the coronavirus.
“President Trump tackled the virus head-on, as leaders should,” the voiceover says, before the comments from Fauci play.
Fauci himself actually responded to that ad in comments to CNN seriously objecting to being “taken out of context”:
“In my nearly five decades of public service, I have never publicly endorsed any political candidate. The comments attributed to me without my permission in the GOP campaign ad were taken out of context from a broad statement I made months ago about the efforts of federal public health officials.”
Earlier Sunday ABC News’ Jon Karl called out the White House for not making Fauci or other health experts available to This Week to talk about the pandemic.
UPDATE — 5:12 pm ET: Following Fauci’s objection to being used in that Trump campaign ad, the Trump campaign is indicating they will continue to run the ad. Other tweets from Team Trump have made it clear they’re going all-in on using Fauci’s past comments in the campaign:
“…As Dr. Fauci recently testified in the Senate, President Trump took the virus seriously from the beginning, acted quickly, and saved lives.”
— Will Steakin (@wsteaks) October 11, 2020
Dr. Fauci said in March that the Trump Administration was doing everything possible to fight the coronavirus.
“I believe so… In the context of what we’re being challenged with, I think everybody’s doing really well,” Dr. Fauci said.pic.twitter.com/TtsKJpZTQ2
— Trump War Room – Text TRUMP to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) October 11, 2020
Biden says that we should listen to Dr. Fauci.
So let’s listen to what Dr. Fauci has said about the Trump Admin’s response to coronavirus:
“That was a very smart move”
“We acted very, very early”
“The coordinated response has been…impressive”https://t.co/9k4FBF4B7G
— Andrew Clark ? (@AndrewHClark) October 11, 2020
