Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
White House Infighting: Fauci Defends Record While Navarro Goes On Attack
Anthony Fauci said the public can trust him when he provides guidance on the coronavirus based on his track record as he comes under increasingly public attacks from some administration officials. 鈥淚 believe, for the most part, you can trust respected medical authorities,鈥 Fauci, the nation鈥檚 leading infectious disease expert, said Tuesday during a Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service event. 鈥淚 believe I鈥檓 one of them, so I think you can trust me.鈥 (Axelrod, 7/14)
Young people have an important role to play in stopping the spread of COVID-19 and protecting those at risk for serious illness, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday.聽Fauci, the nation鈥檚 top infectious disease expert, told Georgetown University students that a high number of infections are being confirmed in young adults, who are聽unlikely to become seriously ill from COVID-19 but can pass it to more vulnerable people if they don't wear masks or practice social distancing. (Hellmann, 7/14)
Peter Navarro, President Donald Trump鈥榮 top trade adviser, blasted Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday, claiming that the nation鈥檚 top infectious disease expert and the public face of the White House鈥榮 coronavirus response has been consistently wrong while advising on how to contain the disease. In a brief op-ed published in USA Today, Navarro said: 鈥淒r. Anthony Fauci has a good bedside manner with the public, but he has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on.鈥 (Choi, 7/14)
The economic adviser pointed to Fauci's past comments on using the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19, comments about the falling mortality rate in the country and other remarks. "So when you ask me whether I listen to Dr. Fauci鈥檚 advice, my answer is: only with skepticism and caution," he wrote. (Moreno, 7/14)
Also 鈥
White House officials this week have denied trying to undermine Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the government鈥檚 top infectious disease expert, for his stark analysis of the coronavirus pandemic. But Dan Scavino, the White House deputy chief of staff for communications, undercut that message by posting a cartoon mocking Dr. Fauci by an artist whose work has been criticized for its anti-Semitic imagery. (Rogers, 7/14)