Fauci a disaster, Trump declares

LAS VEGAS/WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump yesterday called coronavirus expert Anthony Fauci a ‘‘disaster’’, airing his frustration with the scientist during a call meant to reassure campaign staff he has a path to victory on November 3 despite trailing in opinion polls.

Trump and Fauci, a member of his coronavirus task force, have been at odds over how to handle a pandemic that has killed more than 219,000 people in the United States and weakened the president’s case for reelection.

Fauci (79) has served under Republican and Democratic presidents and is one of the most admired scientists in the US.

‘‘Fauci is a disaster. If I listened to him, we’d have 500,000 deaths,’’ Trump said during the call, which the campaign allowed reporters to join.

Fauci has openly complained about being cited in a Trump reelection campaign advertisement that discussed the administration’s pandemic response. Fauci’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. — Reuters