Fake News Stumped: Dr. Anthony Fauci Backs Trump On ‘Downplaying’ Coronavirus 

During an interview with The Daily Briefing on Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he thinks President Trump never gave false information about issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump said he always “wanted to play it down (the pandemic). I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic,” during an exchange hosted by veteran journalist Bob Woodward in March.

During The Daily Briefing exchange, Fauci was asked if he thought what Trump played down was the dangers of the virus.

Fauci responded “I didn’t get any sense that he was distorting anything. I mean in my discussions with him, they were always straightforward about the concerns that we had. We related that to him. And when he would go out, I’d hear him discussing the same sort of things. He would

often say, ‘We just got through with a briefing with the group from the task force,’ and would talk about it. So it may have happened, but I have not seen that kind of distortion.”

After the audio of the interview between Trump and Woodward was released, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany spoke in favor of Trump, stating he acted like “good leaders” and maintained a calm posture during such a particular time. “He has never lied to the American public on COVID,” added McEnany.

John Roberts, the interview host, pressured Fauci to declare if he thought Trump broke with his advisers in trying to discredit the virus. “You were there through that whole thing. Was that the playbook or was that the president just going his own direction?” said Roberts.

“I don’t think so, John,” Fauci responded. “I don’t recall anything different than in our discussions that we had with the president that he said things quite similar publicly.”

Woodward will be bringing out “Rage,” a book which includes several interviews between him and Trump, with the one from

March as well. In the book, Woodward exposes Fauci saying he described Trump as being “on a separate channel,” and offering “rudderless” leadership.