'Of course not': Dr. Tony Fauci says he WOULDN'T attend Donald Trump's campaign rally in Tulsa and dismisses talk of a second wave of coronavirus, saying we're 'still in the first'
- Dr. Anthony Fauci said he wouldn't attend Trump's campaign rally in Tulsa
- 'I'm in a high risk category. Personally, I would not. Of course not,' he said
- Safety questions about rally have risen as Oklahoma sees increases in COVID-19
- Trump campaign said temperature checks will be done, hand sanitizer provided
- Fauci also dismissed concerns about second wave of the coronarvirus
- 'People keep talking about a second wave,' he said. 'We're still in a first wave'
Dr. Anthony Fauci said he wouldn't attend President Donald Trump's campaign rally in Tulsa on Saturday, arguing he is a 'high risk category.'
The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases also dismissed concerns about a second wave of the coronavirus, saying 'we're still in a first.'
Trump has come under fire for holding a campaign rally during the pandemic, which has infected more than 2.18 million Americans and killed more than 119,000. The campaign argues Oklahoma is in phase three of its reopening, which allows for such gatherings, and points out they are taking safety measures such as taking temperatures and offering hand sanitizer.
But Fauci said he wouldn't go.
'No,' he told The Daily Beast when asked if he'd attend.
He noted his age, 79, puts him the high risk category.
'I'm in a high risk category. Personally, I would not. Of course not,' he said.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said he wouldn't attend President Trump's campaign rally in Tulsa
President Trump's campaign is defending its decision to hold a rally, pointing out Oklahoma is in phase three of its reopening, which allows for such gatherings, and points out they are taking safety measures such as taking temperatures and offering hand sanitizer
But he noted when it comes to Trump's rallies 'outside is better than inside, no crowd is better than crowd' and 'crowd is better than big crowd.'
The Trump campaign has said a million people have requested tickets to the rally, which will be held at the Bok Center in Tulsa. The arena has a capacity of 19,000. Anyone from all over the country can request a ticket to a rally through the Trump campaign website.
Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday the campaign was having conversations about moving the rally outside.
'It's all a work in progress. We've had such an overwhelming response that we're also looking at another venue. We're also looking at outside activities, and I know the campaign team will keep the public informed as that goes forward,' Pence told Fox News.
'But it's one of the reasons that we're going to do the temperature screening and we're going to provide hand sanitizers and provide masks for people that are attending,' he said. Pence will also be at the rally.
Tulsa's chief health officer said over the week he had concerns about holding a large indoor event while coronavirus cases were rising in Oklahoma and wished the rally could be postponed.
'I'm concerned about our ability to protect anyone who attends a large, indoor event, and I'm also concerned about our ability to ensure the president stays safe as well,' Tulsa City-Council Health Department Director Dr. Bruce Dart told the Tulsa World.
The rally will be Trump's first since early March, when the coronavirus pandemic led shut downs around the country.
In Oklahoma, new cases rose 68 percent to 1,081 in the second week of June.
White House adviser Kellyanne Conway pointed out people are only going to the rally if they feel comfortable going and compared rally goers to the protesters that gathered in the wake of George Floyd's death.
'People are going to go if they feel comfortable going. So we always tell people, here's the guidance, feel comfortable, don't feel comfortable. We also know that people don't want to be locked down forever. We see them peacefully protesting. We see folks doing many things,' she told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.
Fauci, meanwhile, expressed his concerns about people gathering in closed in spaces.
'When I look at the TV and I see pictures of people congregating at bars when the location they are indicates they shouldn't be doing that, that's very risky,' he told The Wall Street Journal. 'People keep talking about a second wave,' he added. 'We're still in a first wave.'
Thirteen states - mostly in the South - have since reported weekly increases in deaths related to COVID-19 since states began the reopening process.
Pence argued Tuesday that reports of a second wave of the coronavirus are 'overblown.'
'The media has tried to scare the American people every step of the way, and these grim predictions of a second wave are no different,' he wrote in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal.
'The truth is, whatever the media says, our whole-of-America approach has been a success. We've slowed the spread, we've cared for the most vulnerable, we've saved lives, and we've created a solid foundation for whatever challenges we may face in the future. That's a cause for celebration, not the media's fear mongering,' he added.
Fauci, a member of the coronavirus task force who's been unafraid to publicly disagree with the president on health matters, also questioned Trump's claim that the increase in cases was because of increased testing.
While more testing does result in more cases, Fauci told the Journal, higher percentages of positive tests in many states 'cannot be explained by increased testing.'
President Trump argued that 'testing a double edged sword' that makes the country 'look bad' but is 'good to have.'
'Our testing is so much bigger and more advanced than any other country (we have done a great job on this!) that it shows more cases. Without testing, or weak testing, we would be showing almost no cases. Testing is a double edged sword - Makes us look bad, but good to have!!!,' he tweeted Monday morning.
Vice President Mike Pence argued that reports of a second wave of the coronavirus are 'overblown'
Tulsa has seen a spike in coronavirus cases recently, with 121 new cases in the last two days of the 1,564 total cases in the county
The coronavirus task force has not held a public briefing at the White House since April 27 - task force members Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci are seen at the White House with President Trump on May 15 although neither of them spoke at the event
The coronavirus task force has not held a public briefing at the White House since April 27 although members of the team do individual interviews. The task also continues to meet with a meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
President Trump also continues to argue COVID-19 could go away without a cure or vaccine.
'I always say, even without it, it goes away. But if we had the vaccine, and we will, if we had therapeutic or cure, one thing sort of blends in to the other, it will be a fantastic day. I think that's going to happen and it's going to happen very soon,' he said Tuesday during his announcement on police reform.
He said a coronavirus cure was in sight by the end of the year.
'Before the end of the year, I predict we will have a very successful vaccine, therapeutic and cure. We're making tremendous progress,' Trump said.
President Trump has kept faith there will be a coronavirus vaccine by year's end and has pushed states to reopen from their shutdowns. The pandemic caused unemployment to reach 13 per cent, the stock market to tumble and the economy to tank.
The president is banking his re-election campaign on a strong U.S. economy and has unveiled a new slogan - 'Transition to Greatness' - as states go through the phases or reopening.
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