Dr. Anthony Fauci says political divide has hampered pandemic response

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Chief White House Medical Advisor, said he is dismayed at the stark political divide in the country and how it has affected the Covid-19 response.

Fauci was recently interviewed by Bill Frist (R-TN), a former Senate Majority Leader during a coronavirus outlook event hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center. “What we’re seeing is a public health issue which requires synergy among all elements of our government, where we realize that the common enemy is the virus,” Fauci told Frist.

“Sometimes, when you listen to people speak, it’s almost that the enemy is each other. And we have public health decisions that are based on [ideological] considerations. You should never have that,” he added.

He also said that “because I am representing science” by instructing people to get the Covid-19 vaccine and to continue wearing masks, “I get attacked” via death threats which is why he now has protection by federal agents.

During the interview, Fauci didn’t mention political parties of his two most recent bosses, President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump. However, he did note that counties voting one way had significantly higher vaccination rates than counties that voted the other way. Blue counties are much more likely to have higher vaccination rates. He said, “It’s become more of a partisan divide around science,” also calling it “disconcerting”.