White House turns on Fauci as Trump minimizes virus spike

 With U.S. virus cases spiking and death toll mounting, White House is working to undercut its most trusted coronavirus expert, playing down danger as President Donald Trump pushes to get ecomy moving before he faces voters in vember.

U.S. has become a cautionary tale across globe , with once-falling cases w spiraling. However, Trump suggests severity of pandemic that has killed more than 135,000 Americans is being overstated by critics to dam his reelection chances.

Trump on Monday retweeted a post by Chuck Woolery, once host of TV's "Love Connection,” claiming that “Everyone is lying" about COVID-19. Woolery's tweet attacked t just media and Democrats but Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and most doctors "that we are told to trust. I think it’s all about election and keeping ecomy from coming back, which is about election."

At same time, president and top White House aides are ramping up attacks against Dr. Anthony Fauci, nation's top infectious diseases expert. Fauci has been increasingly sidelined by White House as he sounds alarms about virus, a most unwelcome mess at a time when Trump is focused on pushing an ecomic rebound.

“We haven’t even begun to see end of it yet," he said in a talk with dean of Stanford's medical school Monday, calling for a “step back” in reopenings.

Last week, Fauci contricted Trump about severity of virus during a FiveThirtyEight podcast. While Trump contends repeatedly that he has done a great job against pandemic, Fauci said, “As a country, when you compare us to or countries, I don’t think you can say we’re doing great. I mean, we’re just t."

Trump later said Fauci h "me a lot of mistakes.” He pointed to Fauci's early disagreement with him over China travel ban and to evolving guidance over use of masks as scientists' understanding of virus improved — points White House expanded on in statements to media outlets over weekend.

Asked wher president still h confidence in Fauci, a White House official on Monday insisted Trump did. official said Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was regarded as “a valued voice” on White House coronavirus task force. official spoke on condition of anymity even though president has repeatedly railed against anymous sources.

“I have a very good relationship with Dr. Fauci,” Trump told reporters Monday, calling him “a very nice person.” But president ded, “I don’t always agree with him.”

That supportive mess was t echoed by Peter Navarro, a top White House tre viser who has been working on coronavirus effort.

In an email, Navarro continued to criticize Fauci to Associated Press on Monday, saying doctor has “a good bedside manner with public but he has been wrong about everything I have ever interacted with him on.” That includes, he said, downplaying early risk of virus and expressing skepticism over use of hydroxychloroquine, which Navarro has aggressively championed despite contrictory evidence on its efficacy and safety.

Fauci, who has t appeared at recent White House task force briefings and has been largely absent from television, told Financial Times last week that he last saw Trump in person at White House on June 2 and hn't briefed him in at least two months.

He blamed fact that he has refused to toe ministration's line for its refusal to approve many of his media requests.

“I have a reputation, as you probably have figured out, of speaking truth at all times and t sugar-coating things. And that may be one of reasons why I haven’t been on television very much lately,” Fauci said.

Trump's political foes put it more strongly.

“ president’s disgusting attempt to pass buck by blaming top infectious disease expert in country — whose vice he repeatedly igred and Joe Biden consistently implored him to take — is yet ar horrible and revealing failure of leership as tragic death toll continues to needlessly grow,” said Andrew Bates, a spokesman for Democrat Biden’s presidential campaign.

Fauci's public contrictions of Trump have been viewed by president as a personal affront and have caused some in West Wing to sour on doctor, officials say. Some say that, while he is critical of president in media interviews, he is largely deferential behind closed doors. And y complain about those outside ministration, including some in media, who have elevated Fauci at expense of or officials.

Fauci did t respond to a request for comment Monday.

That lionizing of Fauci is anything but welcome as White House tries to have its medical experts take a step back from limelight to keep election-season focus on ecomic recovery rar than persistence of pandemic.

In early days of virus, as Trump bristled at attention Fauci was receiving, West Wing took control of doctor’s media schedule, significantly cutting into his TV appearances though he continued to find alternative outlets — including podcasts and social media.

president’s team has me clear y have intention of trying to oust Fauci, kwing uproar that would create. Inste, y appear content to diminish his reach while encouraging Republican lawmakers, ministration officials and or allies to highlight some of Fauci’s early missteps.

effort is part of a White House effort to “counterpunch” on behalf of Trump, who believes all slights must have a forceful response, said one official, who, like ors, spoke on condition of anymity to describe internal White House thinking.

At same time, supporters are flocking to Fauci’s defense. Association of American Medical Colleges' president and chief scientific officer issued a statement saying organization was “extremely concerned and alarmed by efforts" to discredit Fauci.

“We cant allow Donald Trump to silence Dr. Fauci or any or government scientists,” said Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., who introduced legislation in April to protect Fauci and or leers of National Institutes of Health from being fired for political