Former President Barack Obama on Monday lambasted President Donald Trump for one day earlier suggesting he might fire Dr. Anthony Fauci over clashes the two have had over the coronavirus pandemic.
"One of the few people in this administration who's been taking this seriously all along and what'd he say? His second-term plan is to fire that guy," Obama said during a rally in Atlanta in support of Vice President Joe Biden, The Hill reported.
"They've already said they're not going to contain the pandemic. Now they want to fire the one person who can actually help them contain the pandemic," Obama added. "So Georgia, if you think they've done a bad job at managing COVID so far, basically what they're telling you now is you ain't seen nothing yet."
Trump was at a rally at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport late Sunday when the crowd started chanting, "Fire Fauci! Fire Fauci!"
Trump responded he might do so "a little bit after the election," adding, "I appreciate the advice. No, he's been wrong though a lot. He's a nice man though. He's been wrong on a lot."
Fauci is considered one of the nation's top infectious disease experts and has been director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984. Trump has been critical of Fauci because they have clashed over how to best handle the pandemic, with Trump noting in the early months Fauci suggested masks should not be worn by the public. Fauci has since reversed that advise.
Biden told campaign rallygoers in Cleveland on Monday that Fauci would be welcomed in his administration.
The president does not have the power to directly fire the civil service employee, though he could ask his political appointees to do so. Fauci could appeal such a firing, which would be a drawn-out process.
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