In a sit-down interview with Megyn Kelly, former President Donald Trump was given the perfect opportunity to address the masked elephant that’s been lingering in the middle of his campaign room for years — his reliance on the duplicitous Dr. Anthony Fauci — and, as COVID hysteria is once again being pushed by the left ahead of the 2024 elections.
“Not only did you not fire Fauci, who is loathed by many millions of Republicans in particular but also some Democrats, you made him a star,” Kelly told Trump. “This is the criticism of you, that you made him the face of the White House coronavirus task force. That he was out at every presser. That he was running heard for the administration on COVID, and that you actually gave him a Presidential Commendation before he left office.”
“Wouldn’t you like a do-over on that?” she asked.
“I never got, I think, the credit I deserve on COVID…”
Former President Trump on Fauci, lockdowns, COVID vaccines, and more. Watch below, and hear the FULL hour-plus interview tomorrow, on @SiriusXM ch. 111 #Triumph at NoonET, and all platforms after:https://t.co/Chw1waHuAm
— The Megyn Kelly Show (@MegynKellyShow) September 14, 2023
It was the moment many Trump supporters have been waiting for — an acknowledgment that pushing untested vaccines and authoritarian lockdowns on the word of a proven liar was, perhaps, not his brightest moment.
“I don’t know who gave him the commendation,” Trump replied. “I really don’t know who gave him the commendation. Somebody probably handed him a commendation.”
With a warp speed quickness, folks on X offered the 2024 hopeful a wry refresher.
Trump, in the clip, says he doesn’t know who gave Fauci a presidential commendation. https://t.co/GbLGXYDViJ pic.twitter.com/lSBEjUxysK
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) September 14, 2023
It’s right there in the part where it says your name and “Presidential Medal”…Mr. Trump. pic.twitter.com/mhNkHl0jmq
— Prison Mitch (@MidnightMitch) September 14, 2023
I think I cracked the case on who gave it to him! pic.twitter.com/Goih6MInvr
— PhotographicFloridian (@JackLinFLL) September 14, 2023
Indeed, on his last day in office, on Jan. 19, 2021, Trump’s White House announced that he had awarded commendations to the entire “Warp Speed Team,” including Dr. Deborah Birx and, as Kelly pointed out, General Mark Milley.
With Kelly, Trump attempted to downplay his previous support of Fauci.
“Let me just tell you about Fauci,” he said. “Fauci was very important in the Biden administration.”
Trump went on to remind viewers that he stopped the doctor from letting “everyone come in from China.”
“I stopped it,” he stated. “I overrode many of the things he did.”
“He was much less important to me,” he added, explaining that Fauci was “respected,” but, as president, he “let the governors run their states.”
“A lot of the states were not closed, and I allowed it. It’s the Federalist system,” Trump said. “I allowed the governors to do that.”
But his response, for many, fell flat.
“Trump again seems to have no idea what his administration was actually doing…” stated one user on X upon seeing Trump’s response to Kelly. “He’s always responsible for all the good things, never to blame for any of the bad.”
“That entire answer came from an alternate reality,” the user continued. “Back in this reality, Trump was actively bragging in late 2020 how he completely deferred to Fauci on the Covid response. This wasn’t an opposition video, it came from Trump’s campaign.”
That entire answer came from an alternate reality. Back in this reality, Trump was actively bragging in late 2020 how he completely deferred to Fauci on the Covid response. This wasn’t an opposition video, it came from Trump’s campaign. pic.twitter.com/wZ9nvwzj2t
— AG (@AGHamilton29) September 14, 2023
Users also took issue with his claim that he allowed the governors to decide their states’ fates.
Trump also says in this clip he let states decide to lockdown or not. These are his quotes at the time (I know, they don’t care) https://t.co/GbLGXYDViJ pic.twitter.com/uBuPuN8rVD
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) September 14, 2023
“For the purpose of creating conflict and confusion, some in the Fake News Media are saying that it is the Governors decision to open up the states, not that of the President of the United States & the Federal Government,” Trump is quoted as writing on Twitter. “Let it be fully understood that this is incorrect.”
“When somebody’s president of the United States, the authority is total,” Trump reportedly said at a press briefing. “And that’s the way it’s got to be. It’s total. It’s total. And the governors know that.”
“Watch this video and tell me Trump would do anything different if given the chance,” the user who claimed Trump is remembering an “alternate reality” challenged X users. “Megyn Kelly gave him multiple chances to say he would make wiser decisions next time and he just refuses. He learned nothing.”
Seriously. Watch this video and tell me Trump would do anything different if given the chance. Megyn Kelly gave him multiple chances to say he would make wiser decisions next time and he just refuses. He learned nothing. https://t.co/oAIkcvXtDV
— AG (@AGHamilton29) September 14, 2023
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