Fauci says he'd resign if Trump reelected in 2024

Dr. Anthony Fauci, 82, said on Sunday that he does not want to serve under former President Donald Trump and would likely resign if he is re-elected in 2024.

CNN’s @acosta asks Dr. Anthony Fauci if he would return to the White House if Donald Trump was elected for a second term. Hear his response. pic.twitter.com/RM26OPZgYO

— CNN (@CNN) May 15, 2022

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director made the comments during an interview with CNN’s Jim Acosta. During the exchange, the anchor asked Fauci:

“If Trump were to return to the White House as President, and COVID was still a threat or there was some other public health emergency, would you have confidence in his ability to deal with a pandemic of this nature? Would you want to stay on at your post?”

“Well, no to the second question,” Fauci responded. “If you look at the history of what the response was during the administration, I think, you know, at best, you can say it wasn’t optimal."

"History will speak for itself about that,” he added.

Fauci has been a long-time critic of Trump and previously accused the Republican leader of “poisoning the well” on vaccinations, The Hill previously reported.

Previously, Fauci also questioned the Trump administration’s ability to rollout the vaccine – even going as far as questioning Trump’s ability to protect all Americans during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last month, Fauci recalled how he felt it was his duty to correct the former president during the White House’s 2020 pandemic press conferences, adding that he felt the president was broadcasting “misinformation.”  

According to Fauci, “the divisiveness during the Trump administration” made his job difficult, and “it was no secret that I had to do something that was not pleasant and not comfortable, and I didn’t desire it.”

“I had to be publicly correcting misrepresentation on the part of the president and on the part of people in the administration.”

Fauci has served as director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases since 1984. He was appointed as chief medical advisor to the Biden administration in 2021.