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 "It can only be my personality," said Trump.
Fauci, an infectious disease expert who is on Trump's coronavirus
task force, is one of the most trusted people in government and many
Americans listen to his advice diligently on how to protect
themselves from infection.
Trump, on the other hand, has drawn criticism over his handling of
the pandemic, putting him in jeopardy of losing the Nov. 3
presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden.
The subject of Fauci came up at a news conference where Trump
defended his support for malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a hedge
against the virus. Trump said he felt the drug worked "in the early
stages."
Most public health experts say hydroxychloroquine should not be used
to treat the coronavirus because it could lead to heart and other
problems.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month revoked its
emergency-use authorization for hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19
after several studies cast doubt on its effectiveness.
Trump said he and others in his administration deserved plaudits for
their handling of the virus, not just Fauci and another prominent
member of the task force, Deborah Birx.
"He's working with our administration and for the most part we have
done pretty much what he and others, Dr. Birx and others, who are
terrific, recommended. And he's got this high approval rating. So
why don't I have a high approval rating and the administration with
respect to the virus? We should have a very high (approval rating),"
Trump said.
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"So it sort of is curious, a man works for us, and yet they're
highly thought of and nobody likes me. It can only be my
personality," he said.
The recent rise in U.S. deaths and infections has dampened early
hopes that the country was past the worst of a crisis that has
decimated businesses and put millions of Americans out of work. Four
U.S. states in the South and West reported one-day records of
coronavirus deaths on Tuesday. The national death toll is almost
150,000.
Fauci has been a subject of debate within the White House for months
because he is quite frank in saying where he agrees and disagrees
with the president.
Trump has said repeatedly that Fauci advised him he did not have to
close down travel with China, where the outbreak originated, early
this year when the scope of the pandemic was not yet clear, and that
he did not accept the advice.
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows publicly chided Trump trade
adviser Peter Navarro for writing an opinion article attacking Fauci.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Alexandra Alper; Editing by
Jonathan Oatis and Peter Cooney)
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