Fauci says he hopes he can stay in his job after Trump floated firing him after the election
Dr. Anthony Fauci is very much hoping President Trump doesn't try to have him fired, as he suggested he might do once the election was over.
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, spoke to MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday and was asked if he's concerned that Trump may try to have him removed from his position, after the president told rallygoers who were chanting "fire Fauci" to "let me wait till a little bit after the election, please." A week after Election Day, Fauci told MSNBC he hopes he can continue his work.
"I don't think that that would be helpful to what our common goal of all of us are, no matter who you are, regardless of what administration, we all want this pandemic to end," Fauci said.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Fauci said "every minute of my life right now is devoted to trying to end this pandemic, so I would hope that I'm allowed to continue to do that, because I think I do it well."
Trump can't actually fire Fauci directly, though he could pressure the director of the National Institutes of Health or the secretary of Health and Human Services to remove him, The Associated Press notes. The president has publicly criticized Fauci while his top infectious disease expert offers blunt warnings about the pandemic, in October calling him a "disaster" and saying that "people are tired of hearing Fauci and these idiots."
Fauci previously told CNN he has "no intention of leaving" his position, adding, "It's an important job, and my goal is to serve the American public, no matter what the administration is." Brendan Morrow
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
‘The worry is far from fanciful’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How are Americans bracing for the end of SNAP?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Millions depend on supplemental federal food funds that are set to expire this month, as the government shutdown begins to be acutely felt
-
Book review: ‘Joyride: A Memoir’Feature A journalist’s story of how she chased and accomplished her dreams
-
Argentina’s Milei buoyed by regional election winsSpeed Read Argentine President Javier Milei is an ally of President Trump, receiving billions of dollars in backing from his administration
-
Proposed Trump-Putin talks in Budapest on holdSpeed Read Trump apparently has no concrete plans to meet with Putin for Ukraine peace talks
-
Bolivia elects centrist over far-right presidential rivalSpeed Read Relative political unknown Rodrigo Paz, a centrist senator, was elected president
-
Madagascar president in hiding, refuses to resignSpeed Read Andry Rajoelina fled the country amid Gen Z protests and unrest
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Israel, Hamas agree to first step of Trump peace planSpeed Read Israel’s military pulls back in Gaza amid prisoner exchange
-
Israel intercepts 2nd Gaza aid flotilla in a weekSpeed Read The Israeli military intercepted a flotilla of nine boats with 145 activists aboard along with medical and food aid
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime ministerSpeed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
