What’s Happening:

At the start of the dreaded COVID pandemic, Americans were forced to listen to a man named Anthony Fauci. The head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases stood beside President Trump and other leaders, providing his doom-and-gloom assessment of the crisis.

He was the biggest proponent of lockdowns that crippled the country, and mask mandates that robbed Americans of their basic human dignity.

Many have wondered why Donald Trump, whose presidency was marred by the pandemic, kept Fauci around. GOP candidate for president Ron DeSantis has been outspoken that he would have fired Fauci early on. But not only did Trump not fire Fauci, but the man continued to advise the country during Biden’s administration. Now, Trump is explaining why. From Fox News:

“First of all, you’re not allowed,” Trump told Hugh Hewitt’s radio show when asked by the conservative host why he didn’t fire Fauci…

“… First of all, he’s civil service, and you’re not allowed to fire him. But forget that because I don’t necessarily go by everything … but Dr. Fauci would tell me things, and I wouldn’t do them in many cases. But also, he wasn’t a big player in my administration. Dr. Fauci became a big player in the administration of Biden. He’s a very big player in Biden’s administration.”

Trump claims that he was “not allowed” to fire Fauci, despite him constantly being wrong about COVID predictions and his recommendations that only damaged the country. Because he was a civil servant, Trump stated, he was unable to fire him.

That might not be enough to satisfy Americans’ anger over the Trump administration’s COVID response. It was under Trump that the country shut down, leaving millions out of work. The nation suffered countless setbacks, thanks to the advice of Fauci–who seemed unconcerned that lockdowns were destroying the country.

Despite Fauci’s constant presence during Trump’s daily COVID press conferences, the former president claims he was not a “big player” in his administration. Trump said that he didn’t “necessarily go by everything” Fauci said.

This appears to contradict Fauci’s own statements, including in campaign videos made by Trump in 2020. Fauci stated that every time he spoke with Trump concerning COVID, Trump went along with his decisions.

Could this be Trump trying to rewrite history to protect his 2024 campaign? It’s his word against Fauci’s. And Anthony Fauci is largely disliked by millions of Americans, thanks to his cruel policy demands and arrogant attitude. And Trump continues to enjoy massive popularity among conservative voters, despite his 2020 loss and ongoing legal battles.

It is likely Trump supporters will buy his claim that Fauci was not a big player. But swing and moderate voters might not be convinced.

Key Takeaways:

• Trump claims he was “not allowed” to fire Fauci because he was a civil servant.
• Fauci was largely panned by Republicans because of his drastic COVID policies.
• The former president claimed Fauci was not a “big player” in his administration.

Source: Fox News