Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a press conference on the dismissal of 9th Judicial Circuit Florida prosecutor Monique Worrell in Tallahassee, Fla., on Aug. 9, 2023. (Ron DeSantis/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)
Posted on 09/09/2023 9:37:01 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Former President Donald Trump responded to questions about why he did not terminate the employment of former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci amid the early onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, President Trump was asked about Dr. Fauci, who had been on the Trump pandemic response force, in 2020. "First of all, you’re not allowed," the former president said when asked why he didn't fire him, which Mr. Hewitt said was the "biggest knock" on his presidency.
"No, no, no, Dr. Fauci was there. 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," President Trump said. "Dr. Fauci became a big player in the administration of Biden. He’s a very big player in Biden’s administration."
The former president has received some criticism—namely from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis—for not firing Dr. Fauci, who ultimately became a controversial figure during the pandemic for his often dire predictions about the course of the virus. The former public health official also often recommended people wear masks, get the vaccines, and defended COVID-19-related lockdowns and stay-at-home orders.
In response to President Trump's comments this week, Mr. DeSantis dismissed the former president's arguments that he couldn't fire him. He said that President Trump's comment differs from the ones he gave about Dr. Fauci in the past.
"It's important to point out for a long time that was not his excuse," Mr. DeSantis told the Rubin Report on Wednesday. "His excuse had been that if you fired Fauci, both the Democrats and the media would have pitched a fit, which, of course, is 100 percent true."
"But that's the price of leadership. You got to stand up and do what's right," the governor continued to say. "Clearly, he could have been fired from the White House Task Force. There was no obligation to run him out at press conference after press conference, have him doing media interviews."
During the pandemic, Mr. DeSantis grew a national profile for ending COVID-19 lockdowns early and reopening businesses while also backing laws that would prevent vaccine or mask mandates, or any new lockdowns. However, like other governors around the United States, Mr. DeSantis in March 2020 ordered a statewide lockdown due to the virus before he rescinded it several months later.
"During the height of the COVID stuff in 2020, Fauci would do local hits in Florida media attacking me for having schools open and some of these other stuff," he told the Rubin Report. "So, there was no obligation to do that. I think you could have also fired him from NIH because he had basically committed misconduct with the gain of function [research]."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a press conference on the dismissal of 9th Judicial Circuit Florida prosecutor Monique Worrell in Tallahassee, Fla., on Aug. 9, 2023. (Ron DeSantis/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)
But President Trump said that Mr. DeSantis "shut down Florida," and the state "was tight as a drum." He added: "He had vax lines. He was vaxxing everything. Now, he talks about the vaccinations this and that."
"And let me tell you the other thing. I will send you, after this conversation, five articles about how much he loves Dr. Fauci," he continued. "'I do what Dr. Fauci says. This is Ron DeSantimonious. I do what Dr. Fauci says.' That’s what he says. And I’ve got the articles here. But he doesn’t like to go back."
The spat over Dr. Fauci, who stepped down from his federal government positions in late 2022, comes as some hospitals, schools, and businesses have reinstated mask mandates. In a Thursday news conference, the Florida governor announced that there won't be any new mandates in his state, reiterating a prior stance he has taken.
The former president added: "To every covid tyrant who wants to take away our freedom, hear these words: we will not comply, so don't even think about it. We will not shut down our schools; we will not accept your lockdowns; we will not abide by your mask mandates; and we will not tolerate your vaccine mandates.
“Even today, parts of our country are forcing children to wear masks in the classroom,” Mr. DeSantis told the news conference. “Those mandates are [dead on arrival’ in Florida, and we will protect parents and children from this perpetual COVID hysteria.”
As for President Trump, he released a video several days ago saying that Americans should "not comply" with any lockdowns, mandates, or other COVID-19 rules.
"The left-wing lunatics are trying very hard to bring back COVID lockdowns and mandates with all of their sudden fearmongering about the new variants that are coming," he said. "Gee whiz, you know what else is coming? An election."
The former president continued: "To every COVID tyrant who wants to take away our freedom, hear these words: we will not comply, so don't even think about it. We will not shut down our schools; we will not accept your lockdowns; we will not abide by your mask mandates; and we will not tolerate your vaccine mandates.
I suspect Trump could have fired him, at the minimum reassigned him, and definitely not have him be the public face of his Covid response in the White House. That’s on Trump and his excuses after-the-fact are lame, just like his constant whining of bad hires and appointments. When, even once, has Trump simply said, “I made a bad decision, that’s on me, I’m sorry.”?
This short video shows exactly what happened, in the very words of Trump and Fauci….
https://twitter.com/DeSantisWarRoom/status/1700349157586682030
Even more on Mike Pence.
The “silver knight” was the one who lowered “two weeks to stop the spread” and hoisted “thirty days to flatten the curve” on 03/31/2020.
The ULTIMATE “bait and switch”.
Don’t know about you, but at that moment I KNEW that we were being played like a string octet.
In 2020 TRUMP WAS IN A NO-WIN SITUATION. IF he fired Fauci or ignored the recommendations of the Pence/Fauci group, every single night and every minute of the day the mainstream media would be posting supposed COVID deaths and claim they were TRUMP’S DEATHS.
Ah, that’s not fair! Quoting Trump directly. Figure you have a couple short minutes before someone joins the thread to insult you and claim this is all fake news.
Ronny was busy closing down the Fla beaches about that time. 😆
Yes, but Trump won’t admit to what he did. History is relative to him. Lies.
And does he deny it? No, what he did was be among the first to reverse all of this, despite Trump and company insisting he not.
Anything you say, Donald.
Trump awarded Fauci a Presidential Commendation on 1/19/21.
DeSantis supporters grasping at straws, hoping stuff like this can energize a floundering campaign.
It won’t.
Trump punishes his enemies by giving them the spotlight.
Now everyone sees what a fraud he is.
You know if Trump would have fired him he would have been impeached for the 3rd time.
During an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt …Definitely not friendly towards his guest.
The issue I have is that any constructive criticism was dismissed as “YOU’RE NOT TRUSTING THE PLAN” or Godfather movie quotes on how he’s “keeping friends close and enemies closer”
Look we can’t say we want to get rid of RINOs and then actively discouraging people calling out RINO behavior, wherever they see it. To be clear I’m not calling Trump a RINO, but this was RINO-lite behavior for this instance. We need constructive criticism to keep people accountable
I will give a lot of people a pass at the start of the COVID biological war.
The President asked Pence to lead this up. The media hyped it like crazy. Fauci, who was in that position for many years and was supposed to be non-partisan and a subject matter expect, was a lying hobgoblin and evil personified (as we would all find out eventually).
He lied to Congress. He lied to the Trump Administration. He lied to We, The People.
And for a while, almost everyone believed his lies. He was sainted in the media, adored by the glitterati, and worked to shut down anyone who claimed the Emporer had no clothes.
Stop the circular firing squad, people, please!
Fauci and his co-conspirators unleashed a weapon on the world. Save your anger and angst for the people who caused this mess, not those on our side who were battling it and trying to clean it up.
Trump early on mentioned Ivermectin may help against Covid and mentioned other things. Well boys and girls, I’m and old dog with horses it worked. Hang Fauci, I’ll bring the rope. Listen for a train whistle, Trump is getting railroaded. IMO
>> Well boys and girls, I’m an old dog with horses [Ivermectin] worked.
Ivermectin (right out of the horse syringe!) worked for this household, too. We still take it prophylactically as required. GOD Bless President Trump!
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