This archive report was first published on 24 June 2020.
Fauci Warns of Disturbing Trend Amid Trump's Coronavirus Response ¶
As the United States struggles to contain the spread of the coronavirus, President Donald Trump's top health advisers are sounding the alarm. The pandemic has driven America to its knees, with fully half of US states now seeing rising cases of the disease.
On Tuesday, the European Union warned that it might bar visitors from America, a move that would be a major embarrassment for Trump. The President, however, persisted in his counter-logical argument that the US is only seeing more cases of the virus because it is doing more testing.
Trump spent the day in Arizona, holding a rally in Phoenix, a city where mask wearing is mandatory in public. But he refused to don a face covering, along with many supporters who attended his indoor event.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious diseases specialist, made a rare public appearance in a hearing on Capitol Hill, warning that 'we're now seeing a disturbing surge of infections.' Fauci expressed concern at the wave of aggressive economic openings championed by the President, saying that the next couple of weeks 'are going to be critical in our ability to address those surges that we're seeing in Florida, in Texas, in Arizona, and in other states.'
Increasing cases of the virus are beginning to frame up a daunting question for state and national political leaders: will the situation get so bad that a return to more restrictive and even stay-at-home measures will need to be considered? Such a step would cause a huge confrontation with the President, who sees a rapid economic resurgence as vital to his hopes of winning a second term.
