Fauci: I’m a realist – not an alarmist

Dr. Anthony Fauci pushed back at President Trump’s characterization of him as “a little bit of an alarmist” about the coronavirus, saying he prefers to think of himself as “a realist,” according to a report.

During a free-wheeling interview with Fox News host Chris Wallace that aired Sunday, Trump described the nation’s leading expert on infectious diseases as an alarmist but insisted that they still have a “very good relationship.”

Fauci, a member of the White House pandemic task force, said in an interview with Maria Shriver on Instagram Live late Monday that he believed the president’s characterization of him was unfair, NBC News reported.

“But then again, others have different opinions,” Facui added.

“I’m a realist but I’m also an optimist,” said Fauci, 79, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who has warned that the surging illness could end up being as bad as the 1918 flu pandemic.

That two-year outbreak is believed to have killed least 50 million people worldwide.

Fauci also has warned recently that the number of COVID-19 cases could top 100,000 a day.

Fauci became the focus of attacks last week when two administration officials — trade representative Peter Navarro and White House aide Dan Scavino — questioned the decisions he has made and whether he was leaking information on the federal response to the press.

“Dr. Fauci, at the beginning, said this will pass, don’t worry about it, this will pass,” Trump told Wallace. “He was wrong. Dr. Fauci said don’t ban China. I did. He then admitted that I was right.”

Meanwhile, when Trump resumed his coronavirus briefings on Tuesday, Fauci and other key members of the White House COVID task force were not on hand.

Fauci said in an interview on CNN hours earlier that he had not been invited to the White House briefing.