Mark Zuckerberg criticizes the Trump administration’s coronavirus response – Deadline

Anthony Fauci may have been sidelined from television interviews, but he is still having online conversations alongside print articles, such as an online cover story for Fashion.

On Thursday, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who became the star expert during the coronavirus pandemic, spoke to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg for a live interview that lasted nearly an hour.

However, it was Zuckerberg who criticized the government’s response to the coronavirus crisis, as he referred to the efforts of some in the Trump administration to undermine scientific guidance and Fauci himself.

“It can be quite generous in your description of the government response here. I certainly sympathized at first when it was clear that there would be some outbreaks, no matter how well we handle this, ”Zuckerberg told Fauci. “Now that we are here in July, I think it was avoidable and it is really disappointing that we still do not have adequate evidence, that the credibility of the best scientists like you and the CDC is being undermined. Until recently, parts of the administration were questioning whether people should follow basic best practices like wearing masks. “

Zuckerberg has come under criticism that Facebook platforms have not taken further steps to control misinformation on Facebook platforms, particularly when it comes to some of the president’s comments.

In his interview with Zuckerberg, Fauci warned of the increasing number of cases in the southern states, but otherwise did not criticize Trump and his team.

But he did not agree with the idea that controlling the spread of the virus came at the expense of the reopening of the economy.

“We should consider public health measures as a vehicle, or a gateway, to open the country, not as an obstacle on the road, but as the gateway,” he told Zuckerberg.

He suggested that states that have seen dramatic increases in cases, including Florida and Arizona, did not follow the suggested recommendations to reopen safely.

“You have to do it correctly,” said Fauci. “You can’t skip steps, which is very dangerous when you think about rebounding. The pudding test is, look what has happened. There really is no reason why we have 40, 50, 60 thousand, other than that we are not doing something correctly. “

Fauci also said that his early advice not to wear masks was motivated by a concern about adequate supplies for medical professionals. He said that earlier this year, it was also unclear whether there were asymptomatic people who could transmit the virus. Now that it has been recommended, there has been a rollback in the public and private sector mandates to use them.

Fauci also tried to refute the idea that wearing masks could be harmful to health.

“There has been no indication that putting on a mask and wearing a mask for a considerable period of time has any harmful effect on oxygen exchange and the like,” he said.

The good news from the interview was Fauci’s optimism about a vaccine. She said, “We should know, as we get there in the middle or late fall, if we have [vaccine] candidates who are safe and effective. “

This week, Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro wrote an op-ed for USA Today attacking Fauci’s credibility, while another adviser, Dan Scavino, posted a cartoon on Twitter mocking him.

Fauci told her that her three daughters had difficulties with some of the attacks she received when her profile increased during the pandemic.

“This actual and perceived cumulative conflict between me and the president makes them very nervous,” Fauci said. “They don’t like that. They were angered by the death threats and harassment that I received initially. So it has been hard for them; This has been a difficult deal for them. “