Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday said he’s not misleading the American public about the coronavirus pandemic after President Trump shared a flurry of tweets on Monday that have since been removed from online platforms because of misinformation rules.
“I have not been misleading the American public,” Dr. Fauci said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
One of the tweets Mr. Trump shared included criticism from Dr. Lee Vliet that Dr. Fauci, the federal government’s top infectious diseases expert, has “misled” the public on many issues, including on the efficacy of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine for treating COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Mr. Trump had also shared several tweets about hydroxychloroquine and masks that are no longer available.
Videos of people who identified themselves as “America’s Frontline Doctors” saying people don’t need to wear masks and that hydroxychloroquine is the cure for the coronavirus were removed by Twitter, Facebook and YouTube overnight.
Facebook and Twitter both indicated that they removed the videos because they contained false information or misinformation about COVID-19.
The president says he has taken hydroxychloroquine, apparently as a preventative measure.
“The overwhelming prevailing clinical trials that have looked at the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine have indicated that it is not effective in coronavirus disease,” Dr. Fauci said.
Asked how he can continue to do his job if Mr. Trump is undermining his credibility, Dr. Fauci said he tries not to read Twitter.
“I don’t know how to address that. I’m just going to certainly continue doing my job,” he said. “I just will continue to do my job no matter what comes out because I think it’s very important.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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