Anthony Fauci, a prominent member of the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), is set to formally meet with President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team on Thursday afternoon.
Fauci has already spoken to some members of Biden’s incoming administration, including future chief of staff Ron Klain. In an interview on MSNBC earlier on Thursday, Fauci said he hasn’t spoken directly with Biden since his presidential win, but that he was looking forward to a virtual meeting with the team of health experts he has assembled to help Biden transition into the White House.
“I’m going to be meeting virtually, talking about just substantive, uncomplicated transition issues like vaccines and the state of the epidemic and things like that,” Fauci said.
Fauci also said he expects to continue on as director of NIAID, a position he’s held since 1984. As far as what else he could do for the Biden administration, Fauci said that’d be up to the president-elect — although he did have an idea of what Biden has in store for him.
“What contribution I will make in the new administration depends on the new administration,” Fauci explained. “But I cannot imagine I’m not going to be involved in the COVID-19 response. I mean that would, I think, be unheard of if that’s the case. But we’ll see.”
Fauci’s addition to Biden’s team of experts would likely be received well by most Americans. The infectious disease expert is widely regarded as a trustworthy source on matters related to COVID-19, with a recent Politico/Morning Consult poll showing that 62 percent of Americans feel he’s done an “excellent” or “good” job during the pandemic so far.
Another 17 percent in that poll said Fauci has done a “fair” job, while only 13 percent described his work as “poor.”
In an interview on C-SPAN last week, Fauci was asked whether he’d consider taking on a role in the Biden administration similar to the one he’s had under President Donald Trump. “Of course, yes,” Fauci said in the interview. “The answer is absolutely.”
A transition to a new administration would likely make a big difference for Fauci. Biden takes a significantly more science-based approach to coronavirus than Trump does, such as wearing a mask in almost all of his public appearances. His campaign for president was also conducted with virtual and socially distant-friendly events, while Trump tended to hold large, packed campaign rallies that appeared indifferent to the pandemic.
Fauci would likely find his opinion more respected under Biden, too. For much of the COVID-19 crisis, Trump tended to disregard Fauci’s opinions, and at times expressed hostile opinions about the NIAID director. During a conference call in October, for example, Trump called Fauci and others who expressed worry about the administration’s approach to coronavirus “idiots,” though he acknowledged that if he tried to fire Fauci during the campaign it would have set off a metaphorical “bomb.”
Fauci’s meeting with Biden’s transition team comes at a perilous time during the coronavirus pandemic. On Wednesday, it was reported that deaths related to COVID-19 reached 3,157 in a single day, a record high that surpassed the previous one by more than 500 deaths.
More than 13.9 million Americans have received positive coronavirus diagnoses since the pandemic began, with more than 273,000 deaths.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy