Poll of the Day > Trump twists infectious disease expert's words in new ad

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Trump's campaign team misleadingly edited comments by Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) to sound like praise paid directly to Trump, when Fauci was actually complimenting the work of himself (and by extension the Coronavirus Task Force he is in).

Dr Fauci's original comments were:

I have been devoting almost full time on this almost full time. Im down at the White House virtually every day with the task force. Im connected by phone throughout the day and into the night and when I say night, Im talking twelve, one, two in the morning. Im not the only one. Theres a whole group of us that are doing that. Its every single day. So I cant imagine that that under any circumstances that anybody could be doing more. I mean, obviously, were fighting a formidable enemy this virus. This virus is a serious issue here.

Trump's campaign ad cut together the two above bolded parts of Fauci's original statement.

Following a voiceover stating "President Trump tackled the virus head on as leaders should," the ad immediately leads into Fauci's chopped statement, "I can't imagine that anybody could be doing more.

Fauci states his comments were used misleadingly and without his permission:

In my nearly five decades of public service, I have never publicly endorsed any political candidate. The comments attributed to me without my permission in the GOP campaign ad were taken out of context from a broad statement I made months ago about the efforts of federal public health officials."

See the misleading ad here, where the comments are calling Trump out for now (before comments are nuked and disabled):

https://youtu.be/emnCFyi5cuQ

Ironically, Trump has been critical of Fauci at times, and unwilling to accept and endorse near-universal usage of masks in public, which Fauci strongly supports. Further, Fauci (and other experts on the Cornavirus Task Force) were prohibited from speaking about the coronavirus outbreak within the White House.

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how will zeus, defend this one, ok?

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...considering that Fauci is a Trump appointee who is part of a task force Trump put together, why would that be out of context? Or do you somehow imagine that politicians personally handle everything themselves instead of appointing groups? Because unless you feel that the task force is doing a poor job -- which you apparently don't -- then the group's success is a reflection upon the administration.

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Zeus_LLC posted...

...considering that Fauci is a Trump appointee

Fauci was appointed NIAID director by NIH Director James B. Wyngaarden in 1984. I know it's only been a short 36 years, but please do try to keep up with current events. The president only appoints the NIH director (i.e. the position held by Francis Collins, another member on the task force).

Zeus_LLC posted...

who is part of a task force Trump put together, why would that be out of context? Or do you somehow imagine that politicians personally handle everything themselves instead of appointing groups? Because unless you feel that the task force is doing a poor job -- which you apparently don't -- then the group's success is a reflection upon the administration.

Fauci would have been working on this even if the task force was never created. He's the NIAID director.

And let me spell it out for you. Fauci works hard and makes recommendations, which Trump ignores. Then Trump uses Fauci's statements that the task force is working hard, and uses it as praise of himself. Despite Fauci making it abundantly clear that was not the case.

Trump doesn't get to claim any kudos directed towards the task force when he is simultaneously undermining that task force.

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ClarkDuke posted...

how will zeus, defend this one, ok?

Evidently, rather poorly.

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adjl posted...

Evidently, rather poorly.

no kidding, the fact he thinks 36 years is even remotely close to 4~ years, is just sad, ok?

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Clench281 posted...

Fauci was appointed NIAID director by NIH Director James B. Wyngaarden in 1984. I know it's only been a short 36 years, but please do try to keep up with current events. The president only appoints the NIH director (i.e. the position held by Francis Collins, another member on the task force).

I know that you're new to government since you only "woke" up a few years ago, but people in one government post can be appointed to other roles. That's literally how government works.

Clench281 posted...

Fauci would have been working on this even if the task force was never created. He's the NIAID director.

...but now he's working on it with the task force.

Clench281 posted...

Trump doesn't get to claim any kudos directed towards the task force when he is simultaneously undermining that task force.

Largely untrue on both counts.

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Zeus_LLC posted...

...but now he's working on it with the task force.

Can you conceive of any scenario where the director - in good standing - of the national institute specializing in infectious diseases wouldn't be an automatic addition to a task force responsible for handling the most serious infectious disease outbreak in a century? Such that Trump could take any more credit than "I'm not literally brain dead" for the decision to include him? Trump should literally be more proud of himself for tying his shoes this morning than for that decision.

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You don't think that putting a gag order on the task force, preventing them from sharing their expert opinions about certain topics related to covid, is an act of undermining?

You don't think that seeding doubt or mistrust or disregard for mask use in public, the top recommendation for curbing spread, is an act of undermining?

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Clench281 posted...

You don't think that putting a gag order on the task force, preventing them from sharing their expert opinions about certain topics related to covid, is an act of undermining?

You don't think that seeding doubt or mistrust or disregard for mask use in public, the top recommendation for curbing spread, is an act of undermining?

Bear in mind that Zeus seems to have settled on the belief that Trump has never called Covid a hoax or otherwise suggested it wasn't a real threat. He's a teensy bit delusional when it comes to these matters.

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Funny how Fauci's work is good when and only when that work is a reflection of Trump, because Trump put him on the Task force. But otherwise, Fauci's work bad (because he pushes for mask use).


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Wow trump really is a dumb bitch

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adjl posted...

Can you conceive of any scenario where the director - in good standing - of the national institute specializing in infectious diseases wouldn't be an automatic addition to a task force responsible for handling the most serious infectious disease outbreak in a century? Such that Trump could take any more credit than "I'm not literally brain dead" for the decision to include him? Trump should literally be more proud of himself for tying his shoes this morning than for that decision.

Sure, it's called government. More importantly, you can pick *any* official from that for the task force and, I might add, liaisons from departments/institutes/whatever often aren't the leader of said body. Not to mention that Fauci's success on the task force isn't solely his success and it was a task force put together by -- you guessed it -- the president and his administration!

At any rate, by that token you can write off *any* response to any disaster as "well, any president would have done the same!" (Which might apply in the vague sense that they'd respond in some manner, but the specifics are always going to be vary.)

adjl posted...

Bear in mind that Zeus seems to have settled on the belief that Trump has never called Covid a hoax or otherwise suggested it wasn't a real threat. He's a teensy bit delusional when it comes to these matters.

Bear in mind that nuance isn't adjl's forte, he can be very b&w in this thinking. Thus suggesting that a president didn't want to panic the general populace -- which was already panicking with disastrous results -- somehow means that Trump didn't regard it as a threat at all; however, the fact that Trump imposed travel restrictions AT THE SAME TIME he was "downplaying" COVID kinda undermines that argument.

Clench281 posted...

Funny how Fauci's work is good when and only when that work is a reflection of Trump, because Trump put him on the Task force. But otherwise, Fauci's work bad (because he pushes for mask use).

Funny how people can do good things and bad things instead of only good things or bad things. It's almost like people aren't just either good or bad.


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I have links very relevant to this conversation but I'd just get suspended again if I provided them.

Zeus is literally trying to mansplain that Fauci is wrong about his own comments.

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Zeus_LLC posted...

Funny how people can do good things and bad things instead of only good things or bad things.

Side note, the fact that you believe you have any authority to discern Fauci's scientific recommendations as good or bad is both hilarious and a fine example of the Dinning Kruger effect

Stick to what you know, whatever that might be

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DDirtyDastard posted...

I have links very relevant to this conversation but I'd just get suspended again if I provided them.

i doubt you do, that sounds like a cop out, ok?

Clench281 posted...

Zeus is literally trying to mansplain that Fauci is wrong about his own comments.

of course he's trying that, i think we know the why, he feels he needs to mansplain to you, ok?

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Ugh my phone corrected Dunning to Dinning and it makes me look dumb and I hate that

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Clench281 posted...

Dunning

Dinning Kruger effect is how people think what tastes good to them must taste good to others and that their palate is superior to the average person's palate

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Zeus_LLC posted...

At any rate, by that token you can write off *any* response to any disaster as "well, any president would have done the same!"

Uhh, no. Only the really obvious ones. This is a president who put a climate change denier in charge of the EPA and a person who's spent much of her career systematically undermining public schools in charge of education, so perhaps it is surprising that he actually put an infectious disease specialist on a task force for handling an infectious disease, but that still doesn't mean it's anything other than a choice so obvious as to consider it the default and not something he actually had to think about.

Zeus_LLC posted...

Thus suggesting that a president didn't want to panic the general populace -- which was already panicking with disastrous results -- somehow means that Trump didn't regard it as a threat at all;

Please quote the part of my post (including relevant context) where I said that.

Zeus_LLC posted...

Funny how people can do good things and bad things instead of only good things or bad things. It's almost like people aren't just either good or bad.

So you should be criticizing Trump for recommending mask usage and business closures? Since "his" task force is an extension of his presidency, after all, and that means everything they do - whether you consider it good or bad - reflects on him.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqDP8SnPVA0

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adjl posted...

Uhh, no. Only the really obvious ones. This is a president who put a climate change denier in charge of the EPA and a person who's spent much of her career systematically undermining public schools in charge of education, so perhaps it is surprising that he actually put an infectious disease specialist on a task force for handling an infectious disease, but that still doesn't mean it's anything other than a choice so obvious as to consider it the default and not something he actually had to think about.

Please quote the part of my post (including relevant context) where I said that.

So you should be criticizing Trump for recommending mask usage and business closures? Since "his" task force is an extension of his presidency, after all, and that means everything they do - whether you consider it good or bad - reflects on him.

boy, i'm glad i blocked zeus' obvious alts, he's utterly blind to common sense and lies flow from his mouth, like water from a faucet, ok?

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DrPrimemaster posted...

Dinning Kruger effect is how people think what tastes good to them must taste good to others and that their palate is superior to the average person's palate

This might be more true than sarcastic.

Zeus_LLC posted...

...considering that Fauci is a Trump appointee who is part of a task force Trump put together, why would that be out of context? Or do you somehow imagine that politicians personally handle everything themselves instead of appointing groups? Because unless you feel that the task force is doing a poor job -- which you apparently don't -- then the group's success is a reflection upon the administration.

It's objectively out of context. The video cuts out part of the sentence and puts together a statement he did not make and puts that fabricated statement in the video as a statement about TRUMP which it so very clearly was not.

This is a key example of why no one takes your political commentary seriously and says Trumpsters deny reality. This is objectively not a statement Fauci made. This is objectively not a statement that was made about Trump.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GdeCfw7zUE

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This Zeus guy is one of the worst trolls I've ever seen on this site.

Ferron posted...

This Zeus guy is one of the worst trolls I've ever seen on this site.

he's so sad, he constantly brings up being, thunder, ok?


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Ferron posted...

This Zeus guy is one of the worst trolls I've ever seen on this site.

Wait til you find out why his main account is in purgatory.

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Trump again attacks Faucis guidance, after having not met with him for over a month.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-fauci-campaign-coronavirus/2020/10/13/92dc5f8a-0d61-11eb-8a35-237ef1eb2ef7_story.html


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HelIWithoutSin posted...

Wait til you find out why his main account is in purgatory.

Do we know the specific reason? He generally makes objectionable posts but the curious always wants to know the specific post that did it.

BlackScythe0 posted...

Do we know the specific reason? He generally makes objectionable posts but the curious always wants to know the specific post that did it.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/3-poll-of-the-day/79027774

Post #28. He was defending the terrorists, of course. Someone only quoted part of it, so you'll have to check lumberjackfaqs for the whole thing.

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HelIWithoutSin posted...

Post #28. He was defending the terrorists, of course. Someone only quoted part of it, so you'll have to check lumberjackfaqs for the whole thing.

i might look this up, as he's a dangerous individual. and, thank you for bringing this to everyone's attention, ok?

we also need the post screencapped, so he can't deny it a month down the road, ok?

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https://truthout.org/articles/white-house-uses-petition-by-fake-doctors-with-prank-names-to-push-herd-immunity/

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