The top U.S. expert on the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci, downplayed receiving online threats and having uneasy encounters with admirers Thursday that reportedly prompted the Trump administration to provide him with security.
Fauci, an influential proponent of stay-at-home orders and other strict emergency measures, has been the target of threats from the far-right after publicly correcting some of President Donald Trump’s statements about the pandemic.
The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who has also been the target of unwanted interactions and communications from ardent admirers, de-emphasized concern over his safety during an interview with “CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King.
“It's my job. This is the life I've chosen, and I'm doing it," Fauci said. "I mean, obviously there's a lot of pressure. I would be foolish to deny that. ... It's a job to do, and we've just got to do it."
Despite Fauci’s public corrections of Trump, the president has repeatedly applauded him during regular COVID-19 news conferences at the White House.
When asked Wednesday about reports of a security team being assigned to Fauci, Trump said he does not need it.
“Everybody loves him. Besides, they'd be in big trouble if they ever attacked,” Trump said.
