Top US infectious diseases expert said on Sunday he had not agreed to be featured in Trump ad; Italy moves as daily infections reach highest levels since March. Follow the latest updates.
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Trump tweeted late on Sunday that “They are indeed Dr. Fauci’s own words. We have done a “phenomenal job”. He did not say that Fauci had agreed to be featured.
They are indeed Dr. Fauci’s own words. We have done a “phenomenal” job, according to certain governors. Many people agree…And now come the Vaccines & Cures, long ahead of projections! https://t.co/ANqKL4eBqJ
Top US infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Sunday he had not agreed to be featured in an ad by President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign and that his comments were taken out of context.
The ad, released last week, discusses Trump’s effort to recover from the coronavirus personally, as well as his administration’s work to address the pandemic. The 30-second spot uses older remarks from Fauci in a way that suggests he was praising the president.
“I can’t imagine that anybody could be doing more,” the ad shows Fauci saying.
But those remarks are from a March interview, where Fauci, who has been director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) since 1984, was discussing the broader effort, including by the White House coronavirus task force.
“In my nearly five decades of public service, I have never publicly endorsed any political candidate,” Fauci said in a statement.
“The comments attributed to me without my permission in the GOP campaign ad were taken out of context from a broad statement I made months ago about the efforts of federal public health officials,” his statement added.
