‘Fauci is a disaster’: Trump denigrates Covid expert in campaign staff call – live

1.15pm EDT 13:15

Today so far

Here’s where the day stands so far:

The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.

12.59pm EDT 12:59

As Trump attacked Dr Anthony Fauci as a “disaster” this morning, the infectious disease expert was virtually accepting an award for “exemplary leadership.”

In his remarks accepting the award, Fauci warned the country is “going through a time that’s disturbingly anti-science in certain segments of our society.”

Fauci made similar comments in his “60 Minutes” interview, which aired yesterday. The top health official said he has received death threats since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and his family members have been harassed.

12.36pm EDT 12:36

Kamala Harris is campaigning in the crucial swing state of Florida, where in-person early voting started today.

The Democratic vice-presidential nominee spoke at the Central Florida Fairgrounds in Orlando, where dozens of cars had pulled up for a drive-in rally. Drivers honked their horns in support as the event unfolded.

Harris will also participate in a voter mobilization event in Jacksonville later today.

The day’s events mark a return to the campaign trail for Harris, who canceled her planned trips this weekend after two people she had recently flown with tested positive for coronavirus.

The Biden campaign said Harris did not have close contact with either person, but she still canceled her travel plans out of an abundance of caution.

12.14pm EDT 12:14

It should also be noted that the Trump campaign recently used Dr Anthony Fauci’s words in a campaign ad, a decision that attracted criticism from the infectious disease expert.

The ad included Fauci’s comment from March praising the work of the White House coronavirus task force. “I can’t imagine that anybody could be doing more,” Fauci said at the time.

The Trump campaign took the comment and placed it in an ad to make it seem as though Fauci was specifically referring to the president.

Fauci said last week, “That ad clearly implies strongly that I’m endorsing a political candidate, and I have not given them my permission to do that.”

He added, “The quote that they took is completely out of context.”

So Trump is simultaneously calling Fauci a “disaster” and using the expert’s words to try to bolster his own credibility on the pandemic response.

12.06pm EDT 12:06

Trump attacked Dr Anthony Fauci as a “disaster,” but polls indicate Americans trust the infectious disease expert more than the president when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a New York Times/Siena College survey taken in June, 67% of American voters say they trust Fauci as a source of information on the pandemic.

Just 26% of US voters said the same of Trump.

11.45am EDT 11:45

Although Trump described Dr Anthony Fauci as a “disaster,” the president told campaign staffers that he was worried about the consequences of firing the infectious disease expert.

“Every time he goes on television, there’s always a bomb, but there’s a bigger bomb if you fire him,” Trump said.

The president also acknowledged that there were likely reporters listening in on the campaign staff call (yes, there were). But Trump seemed unconcerned about his attacks on Fauci being made public.

“If there’s a reporter on, you can have it just the way I said it, I couldn’t care less,” Trump said.

11.39am EDT 11:39

Trump attacks Fauci as a ‘disaster’ in campaign staff call

Speaking to his campaign staff on a conference call, Trump attacked Dr Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert.

“People are tired of coronavirus,” the president said, according to reporters who listened in on the call. “People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots.”

Trump added that Fauci, who has led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, was a “nice guy” but that he had “been here for 500 years.”

The president also claimed (without evidence) that the US death toll would have been as high as 800,000 if he had followed Fauci’s advice.

“Fauci is a disaster,” Trump said.

The president’s comments come one day after 60 Minutes aired an interview with Fauci, in which the expert said he was “absolutely not” surprised Trump got coronavirus because he was holding crowded events with minimal social distancing and mask usage in the days before he developed symptoms.

Updated at 11.51am EDT

11.26am EDT 11:26

Trump joined a campaign staff call from his hotel in Las Vegas, where he is staying before his two campaign rallies in Arizona later today.

The president tried to instill confidence in his campaign staff, insisting he would win the election, despite the recent disappointing polls.

“We’re going to win,” Trump said. “I wouldn’t have told you that maybe two or three weeks ago.”

Polls show Trump consistently trailing Joe Biden in key battleground states, and FiveThirtyEight currently gives the incumbent president a 12% chance of victory.

11.08am EDT 11:08

Joe Biden’s coronavirus test today has come back negative, the Democrat’s campaign announced moments ago.

“Vice President Biden underwent PCR testing for COVID-19 today and COVID-19 was not detected,” the campaign said in a statement.

Biden has been regularly releasing the results of his coronavirus tests since Trump tested positive earlier this month.

The Biden campaign announced last week that an aviation company administrator who recently flew with the nominee had tested positive, but the two did not have close contact, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Biden is off the campaign trail today, instead focusing on preparing for his Thursday debate against Trump.

10.49am EDT 10:49

Barack Obama has filmed a campaign ad for Sara Gideon, the Maine Democrat seeking to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins next month.

“From her work to lower the cost of health care and prescription drugs to tax relief she’s helped provide for middle class Mainers, Sara has brought people together to get things done,” the former president says in the ad.

“Sara will always be a strong voice for Maine, and is exactly the type of leader we need in Washington.”

Obama endorsed Gideon back in August, a noteworthy announcement considering Collins often voted in favor of the former Democratic president’s policies when he was in office.