WATCH: CNN’s Chris Wallace Asks Fauci Point-Blank ‘What Do You Think of Donald Trump?’

CNN anchor Chris Wallace cut right to the chase when he asked retiring infectious disease honcho Dr. Anthony Fauci point-blank “What do you think of Donald Trump?”

Fauci has become less and less diplomatic about his relationship with the former president during the height of the Covid crisis, and in a preview clip from Wallace’s series Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace, the host just flat-out asked Fauci what he thinks of the bleach-recommender-in-chief:

Chris Wallace: What do you think of Donald Trump?

Dr. Fauci: Well, you know, I had difficulty in that administration…I felt very uncomfortable about having to publicly get up at the White House press room and being put on the spot to directly disagree with the President…And that’s how I evolved essentially, in the, you know, public enemy number one of the far-right, which I did not desire to be put in that position.

Chris Wallace: You may be done with political life, but political life is not going to be done with you. What are you going to do if, in your view, you become a punching bag for Republican critics?

Dr. Fauci: Well, if I become a punching bag, I’m a punching bag. But I am very happy to testify before any congressional oversight committee, I have nothing to hide, I have — I can explain and validate everything that I’ve done. So you know, it’s going to be inconvenient if they actually are out there, essentially threatening to make my life miserable. But it’s I mean, I’m going to do what I need to do, and that is cooperate fully, because we have nothing to hide at all.

The latest interviews from Wallace’s series Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace feature Dr. Anthony Fauci, music legend Dionne Warwick, and cube-gleaming icon Tony Hawk.

Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace drops new episodes Fridays on HBO Max, with a highlights show on CNN Sunday night.

Watch the full exchange above via HBO Max and CNN.