Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
In the post, Trump accuses Fauci of “always trying to protect China” when discussing the origin of the Covid pandemic.
Donald Trump posted a lengthy early-morning critique on Truth Social aimed at Dr. Anthony Fauci, just hours before Fauci was set to testify before a Senate committee over hundreds of recently released pages from his personal diary.
In the post, Trump claimed “many more people died of Covid under the Biden Administration than under the Trump Administration.”
Looking at the raw data, Trump is correct that the number of deaths from Covid was higher under the Biden administration. However it is important to note that Donald Trump’s first term as president ended on January 20, 2021, before variants like Delta and Omicron swept the US.
Clashing over origins
The rift between Trump and Fauci grew during daily briefings. Trump claimed the doctor pushed terrible policy calls during their months working on the coronavirus task force together.
“His ideas were CRAZY!” Trump wrote, alleging that “Fauci strongly disagreed, always trying to protect China” regarding the origin of the virus at a Wuhan laboratory.
Scientists initially doubted the lab leak theory due to limited early evidence. Fauci later supported investigating the possibility, contradicting claims that he shielded Chinese authorities.
Trump also criticized shifting mask guidance, calling Fauci an “anti-masker” who became a “super-masker.” Trump added, “I didn’t let him shut the country down, although he wanted to.”
Passing the blame
Trump highlighted his decision to give governors authority over lockdowns. “I went the Federalist way, and let the governors decide,” he wrote, asserting Republican governors outperformed their Democratic peers.
Trump claimed he warned Joe Biden directly about the doctor during a phone call. He claimed he told Biden that Fauci lacked ability or was dishonest.
“The call was well received, but sadly, not acted on,” Trump wrote, adding that “Biden went on to give Fauci vast destructive power.”
