Trump Reportedly Asked Fauci If Officials Could Let Coronavirus ‘Wash Over’ U.S.
President Donald Trump asked Dr. Anthony Fauci, a key member of the coronavirus task force, whether U.S. officials could allow the pandemic to “wash over” the country, The Washington Post reported Saturday.
The president asked the question during a coronavirus task force meeting in the Situation Room last month, the same day he instituted a hold on travel from the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Trump also allegedly inquired about “herd immunity” and why, to him, it was not receiving enough consideration.
“Mr. President, many people would die,” Fauci reportedly told the president.
This detail comes after an explosive report by The New York Times detailing how advisers warned Trump about the pandemic, urging preventative measures to be taken, yet Trump delayed several weeks until doing so.
As the Post noted Saturday, it can seem like a chore for advisers to get through to the president:
One of the biggest obstacles to the virus response is Trump himself. Even the most dutiful plans and projects often get caught up in the chaos of the White House. Advisers spend significant time trying to manage the president and his whims — from successfully dissuading him from seeking to reopen the country at Easter to tempering his impulse to push unproven drugs as miracle elixirs.
