Fauci Says White House Has Been Controlling His Media Appearances, He Was ‘Absolutely Not’ Surprised Trump Got Covid, And That Trump Ad Made Him ‘Really Ticked Off’

Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke candidly in a 60 Minutes interview with CBS’ Dr. Jon LaPook about his experiences with President Donald Trump on the White House Coronavirus Task Force, including acknowledging that the White House has been controlling his media appearances, his lack of surprise that the president contracted Covid-19, and his anger over being featured in a Trump campaign ad without his permission.

As the pandemic spread across the country, infecting millions of Americans and killing over 200,000, Fauci’s continued pleas for people to take the virus seriously often put him at crosshairs with the president, who wanted a more positive message leading into the November election.

Former Trump administration officials like Olivia Troye have acknowledged that Fauci was sidelined, and members of the media have repeatedly complained that the White House has refused to make Fauci or other experts on the task force available for interviews.

LaPook asked Fauci head on if the White House had been “controlling” when he could speak with the media.

“You know, I think you’d have to be honest and say yes,” replied Fauci. “I certainly have not been allowed to go on many, many, many shows that have asked for me.”

“One of the most trusted voices in America,” said LaPook, “and yet, you’re not there, you’re not allowed to talk with us. So, can you understand the frustration that maybe there’s been a restriction on the flow of information and on the transparency –”

“You know,” said Fauci, “I think there has been a restriction, Jon, but– but it doesn’t, it– it– it isn’t consistent.”

LaPook also asked Fauci about his reaction to Trump contracting Covid-19, and whether he was surprised by the news.

“Absolutely not,” Fauci replied, and then described his reaction to the September 26 White House Rose Garden event where Trump announced he was nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Trump and the vast majority of attendees were seen without masks or social distancing, and a long list of Trump campaign staff, White House officials, Republican Senators, and even the president and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive shortly thereafter.

“I was worried that he was going to get sick when I saw him in a completely precarious situation of crowded, no separation between people, and almost nobody wearing a mask,” said Fauci as he put his head in his hands. “When I saw that on TV, I said, ‘Oh my goodness. Nothing good can come outta that, that’s gotta be a problem.’ And then sure enough, it turned out to be a superspreader event.”

Fauci also addressed the recent Trump campaign ad that appeared to show him praising the president’s handling of the pandemic. After the ad was released, Fauci loudly complained, saying his words were taken out of context, that the ad was made without his consent, and that he did not want to publicly endorse any political candidates.

The Trump campaign was undeterred, with Trump himself tweeting a defense of the ad. LaPook noted that the ad was continuing to run in battleground states this week.

LaPook played a clip of the ad, which Fauci called “stunning” and “outrageous” in its audacity.

“I do not and nor will I ever, publicly endorse any political candidate,” said Fauci. “And here I am, they’re sticking me right in the middle of a campaign ad, which I thought was outrageous.”

He emphasized again that his words were taken out of context. “I was referring to something entirely different. I was referring to the grueling work of the task force that, ‘God, we were knocking ourselves out, seven days a week. I don’t think we could have possibly have done any more than that.'”

“Did the steam start to come out of your ears?” asked LaPook

“No, it did, quite frankly,” Fauci agreed. “I got really ticked off.”

Watch the videos above, via CBS.