Fauci calls efforts from White House to undermine his efforts 'bizarre'

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is pushing back on White House aides' criticism of his handling of the coronavirus, saying it's “bizarre” and "only reflecting negatively on them.”

Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, made the comments in an interview published Wednesday in The Atlantic magazine. They follow an op-ed by White House trade adviser Peter Navarro published the same day in the USA Today newspaper arguing that Fauci “has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on.”

In addition, Trump advisers anonymously provided news outlets with details about statements Fauci had made early in the pandemic that they said turned out to be inaccurate, according to The New York Times.

“I cannot figure out in my wildest dreams why they would want to do that,” Fauci told the Atlantic about the recent actions by the aides. “I think they realize now that that was not a prudent thing to do.”

On Wednesday, President Trump said in response to the Fauci criticism, “We're all on the same team. Including Dr. Fauci."

Fauci also gave an interview with CBS's Norah O'Donnell, who acknowledged personally knowing him for years, in which he said, “With all due modesty, I think I’m pretty effective.” The Interview appeared in InStyle magazine.