Here’s Why Trump Can’t Fire Dr. Fauci After His ‘Deep State’ Facepalm
Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was visibly upset by President Trump's "deep state" comments on Friday. | Image: Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP
- Dr. Anthony Fauci finally returned to the coronavirus task force briefing on Friday.
- The renowned immunologist was visibly horrified as President Trump referred to the State Department as the “deep state”
- Can Trump fire the rebellious Fauci? Absolutely not if he cares about re-election, or the stock market.
Americans breathed a sigh of relief Friday as Dr. Anthony Fauci returned to the stage, but his reaction to Donald Trump’s “deep state” comments has the nation concerned he might be fired from his post. They probably should be worried.
Anthony Fauci’s Visible Face-Palm
Fauci, who has served presidents since Ronald Reagan, has been a bastion of expertise and experience during the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S .
Unfortunately, it’s now possible that he could face a rocky few days after being captured on camera visibly disturbed by President Trump’s use of conspiracy theory terminology during a national address.
Trump referred to the State Department as the “deep-state department,” and as you can see from the video below, Dr. Fauci was visibly disturbed by this attack.
Anyone who has kept up with American politics over the last few years knows that the 45th president does not expect loyalty. He requires total obedience .
Partly why White House turnover has been so high is that Trump has never tolerated appointees being insubordinate or rebellious whatsoever.
Fauci’s facial expression is clearly perturbed; his “face-palm” is unquestionable as he broke his own coronavirus guidance about touching your face. The fact this happened on national television will not do much to quell the president’s ire.
“Deep State” Is Not The First Fauci Rebellion
“Deep-state-gate” is not the first time that Fauci has shown his strength. During congressional hearings, the viral expert has been unafraid of citing the government’s failings.
He has also pushed back against Trump’s claims about the efficacy of certain drugs against COVID-19 .
For once, though, the nation’s foremost immunologist and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases likely holds more political power than the president.
The American public has taken to Dr. Fauci’s fierce independence. Fauci has refused to toe the government line if he believes a false narrative is being pushed.
A shaky stock market would not like to see an expert of Fauci’s caliber being replaced, particularly given how nervous investors are about the duration of the coronavirus outbreak.
Still, when his strong-man image is threatened, Trump has rarely allowed it to go unpunished .
Twitter Relieved as Immunologist Returns to the Stage
As a sign of the deep respect for Fauci in the medical community, Duke Cardiology Fellow Michael Nana tweeted the following about his encounter with the immunologist early on in his career:
Dr. Fauci is a national treasure. I was lucky enough to meet him when I was a doe-eyed intern. Nothing but kind and full of wisdom. We bonded over @RegisHighSchool. Nobody I would trust more in this moment.
“Where is Fauci” trended on Twitter for several days before his appearance on Friday, and if that was a PR decision by the White House (of which there is no proof), then it might be a while before we see the good doctor again after Friday’s events.
So if Dr. Fauci is struggling with dealing with President Trump, will the administration put him out of his misery?
Probably not, as he’s too well respected on both sides of the aisle, within the medical community, and with the U.S. public who wait with bated breath for his input.
One thing is for sure: Having served the American people since Ronald Reagan, regardless of the ideology of the party in power, Fauci will do his job – to hell with the distractions.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.
