Education May 13, 2020

Donald Trump At Odds With Dr. Anthony Fauci

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 20: Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci holds up the "15 Days to Slow the Spread" instruction as U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a news briefing on the latest development of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. at the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House March 20, 2020 in Washington, DC. With deaths caused by the coronavirus rising and foreseeable economic turmoil, the Senate is working on legislation for a $1 trillion aid package to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. President Trump announced that tax day will be delayed from April 15 to July 15. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Donald Trump is making it clear he disagrees with Dr. Anthony Fauci when it comes to re-opening schools.

On Tuesday, while testifying before the Senate, the nation’s top infectious disease expert said this about re-opening schools in the fall:

“We really better be very careful, particularly when it comes to children, because the more and more we learn, we’re seeing things the virus can do that we didn’t see from the studies in China or in Europe.”

Today Trump said Fauci “wants to play all sides of the equation.”

President Trump says he was "surprised" by Dr. Fauci's warning about reopening schools during the pandemic and says it's "not an acceptable answer" https://t.co/Nj065CIsxp pic.twitter.com/oX2LkydkPp
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 13, 2020

Also, Wednesday, while being interviewed on Fox News by Maria Bartiromo Trump said:

“Anthony is a good person, a very good person. I’ve disagreed with him… I think that we have to open our schools … I totally disagree with him on schools.”

"Anthony is a good person, a very good person. I've disagreed with him" — Trump seems to think his opinion is worth as much as Dr Fauci's when it comes to public health policy pic.twitter.com/R3IAL21ovU
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 13, 2020

Trump seems to be promoting a narrative that schools should open in the fall, including colleges. He made this statement a day after Cal State University announced classes on their 23 California campuses will remain mostly virtual until the end of 2020.

Trump suggests the benefits outweigh the risks of opening colleges next fall: "These are young students. They’re in great shape," he said. "Will something happen? Perhaps."

"You can be driving to school and some bad things can happen too," he says.
— Kevin Liptak (@Kevinliptakcnn) May 13, 2020