CNN has been so intense with pushing the narrative that President Trump didn’t care about dealing with the coronavirus correctly, that they’ve been hyperventilating about an image of him and Dr. Anthony Fauci touching a microphone at the same time during a White House press conference. When CNN fill-in host Brianna Keilar pressed Fauci on what happened, the nation’s top immunologist chuckled and told her to “get real” and not make something out of nothing.
Just before wrapping up their interview on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, Keilar drew Fauci’s attention to a picture of him and Trump readjusting the height of a microphone on a White House podium. “You actually touched the same podium, I'm sure you've seen this, and microphone as the President and other CEOs, even at the same time,” she declared as if they were being unhygienic.
She noted that Trump’s coronavirus test had come back as negative, but demanded to know if Vice President Mike Pence planned to get a test and if he planned to get tested. Dr. Fauci expertly defused the testing hysteria. “No, no. I'm not taking the test for the simple reason, I have no symptoms. I'm practicing pretty good social distancing.”
After she tried to protest, the Doctor dismissed the media’s narrative that everyone in the country needed to be tested. “But not everybody in the United States should take a test. I mean, I have no symptoms, there's no reason for me to take a test. If I'm in a situation where I'm at a higher risk, I will take a test,” he explained.
Bringing the conversation back to the microphone, Fauci put the hyperventilating to rest with a chuckle at the media’s trumped-up drama:
The picture you showed about the microphone, let's get real here. I mean, there are certain things that you have to do. If I left the microphone like that, you would see nothing but the microphone. My putting my two fingers to get the microphone down isn't that bad, so I don't think we should make something of that.
I’d like to see people more doing this [demonstrated elbow bump] as opposed to shaking hands.
“Well, we are not going to shake hands, although I am grateful you're here today, Dr. Fauci, thank you so much,” Keilar added as they interview came to a close.
Dr. Fauci had definitely been a voice of reason throughout the coronavirus situation when it came to educating the public about best practices and dismantling the liberal media’s hysteria when it came to the Trump administration’s response to the outbreak.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s State of the Union
March 15, 2020
9:13:33 a.m. EasternBRIANNA KEILAR: I want to take a look this picture. You actually touched the same podium, I'm sure you've seen this, and microphone as the President and other CEOs, even at the same time. The Vice President has taken for coronavirus it tested neg-- the President has teste negative, I should say. Has Vice President Pence, have you taken a test, are you going to take a test?
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI: No, no. I'm not taking the test for the simple reason, I have no symptoms. I'm practicing pretty good social distancing.
KEILAR: But it's hard to fully do it, as we've seen.
FAUCI: But not everybody in the United States should take a test. I mean, I have no symptoms, there's no reason for me to take a test. If I'm in a situation where I'm at a higher risk, I will take a test.
The picture you showed about the microphone, let's get real here. I mean, there are certain things that you have to do. If I left the microphone like that, you would see nothing but the microphone. My putting my two fingers to get the microphone down isn't that bad, so I don't think we should make something of that.
I’d like to see people more doing this [demonstrated elbow bump] as opposed to shaking hands.
KEILAR: Well, we are not going to shake hands, although I am grateful you're here today, Dr. Fauci, thank you so much.
FAUCI: Okay. Good to be with you.
