Nevertheless, Atlas said on Tuesday that perhaps Fauci had “cheered up because of the election,” echoing the president’s unfounded allegations that elected officials and even his own administration’s health experts are being dishonest about the pandemic in an effort to dent his political fortunes.
“There’s all kinds of prognostications that were made — all negative, all to undermine what the reality of the timelines were, all to undermine the president,” Atlas added of Fauci’s comments. “And I think, you know, once you do that sort of thing and make yourself a political animal, basically, you lose your credibility.”
Atlas’ remarks represent a continuation of the criticism the president has leveled at Fauci that escalated in the run-up to last week’s election. Last month, Trump described Fauci as a “disaster” in a call with campaign staff, and he hinted at a rally last week that he would fire Fauci after Election Day.
