It Is Only Matter of Time Before Trump Kicks Fauci to The Curb

One of the hallmarks of the Trump presidency is how he has cast his "best people" to the side and trashed them.

Exhibit #A: Trump deriding former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as "dumb as a rock."

Exhibit #B: Trump describing former Secretary of Defense James Mattis as "the world's most overrated general."

Exhibit #C: Earlier this year, Trump claimed former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly as being "over his head."

How long will it be before NIAID Director and White House Coronavirus Task Force member Dr. Anthony Fauci becomes Exhibit #D?

On Sunday, Dr. Fauci told CNN's Jake Tapper that lives could have been saved had social distancing and other mitigation measures been adopted earlier and raised doubts that the COVID-19 pandemic would be resolved by this November's presidential election. I'm sure Trump is angrier at Fauci's comments regarding the election because he advocated conducting the election by mail - something Trump vociferously opposes even though he himself voted by mail last November.

No matter. Trump retweeted California GOP Congressional candidate DeAnna Lorraine's call to #FireFauci. As of this writing more than 22,000 Americans have died of COVID-19 and the President of the United States is giving legitimacy to firing a man for being competent and trustworthy.

Now that Trump has given this idea legitimacy it is only matter of time before Fauci is fired (or forced to resign) from the White House Coronavirus Task Force and perhaps his directorship of the NIAID, a position he's held since the Reagan Administration.

If Trump tries to push Fauci out then I would hope Dr. Deborah Birx will gently tell him, 'If he goes then I go.' Perhaps that will be enough to get Trump to back off because if they both departed it would be a public relations fiasco for Trump. But I suspect that will only delay the inevitable.

Trump stands nothing to gain by dispensing with Fauci's experience and knowledge other than getting amens from the Church of MAGA who view Fauci as part of the so-called "Deep State". But it will not inspire confidence in the real world. Fauci resonates with everyday Americans in a way that Tillerson, Mattis and Kelly never could. He is perceived as having independence and integrity. By getting rid of Fauci, Trump demonstrates he cares only about loyalty and betrayal - real or imagined.

In the event Trump pushes Fauci out it would provide an opening for Joe Biden. All Biden need do would be to have Fauci appear on one of his podcasts. Sure, the MAGA crowd would go batshit crazy. But when don't they go batshit crazy? If Biden were to enlist a defrocked Fauci then it would demonstrate to everyday Americans that Biden values common good and competence over the need to be praised and worshiped. That could very well prove to be the nail in the coffin of Trump's presidency as Americans are trying to find a way to bury their loved ones.

It is true that President Trump is fully within his rights to remove Fauci from the White House Coronavirus Task Force and/or NIAID if he sees fit. Trump might feel sore at what he perceives as acts of treason for which Fauci must be banished be it tomorrow or in a month from now. But if Trump does so it will be a self-inflicted wound from which his presidency cannot heal.