Dr. Anthony Fauci used a quote from "The Godfather" in responding to President Donald Trump's criticism of the public health expert.
During a radio interview with KNX1070 in Los Angeles, Fauci was asked about Trump's remarks in which he said, "People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots" and called Fauci "a disaster."
Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, told the radio station that he's just doing his job to help combat COVID-19.
"I would prefer not to comment on that and just get on with what we are really trying to do and what we are trying to do is to protect the health and welfare and safety of the American people predominantly, and ultimately, of the world," Fauci said. "We are seeing an uptick in cases — higher than they've ever been. Many, many states that had been doing reasonably well are now showing upticks, that's what we should be concentrating on."
Fauci added that he's focused on improving Americans' health.
"That's the only thing I really care about," he said. "That other stuff, it's like in 'The Godfather': nothing personal, strictly business as far as I'm concerned. I just want to do my job and take care of the people of this country."
Fauci and other experts are predicting a challenging stretch of weeks and months ahead as colder weather sets in.
"But in many sections of the country as we get into the cooler weather of the fall and the colder weather of the winter we will be challenged because many things, out of necessity, will have to be done indoors," he said.
"We can turn around these surges, we can't throw up our hands. I'm not talking about shutting down the country, that's not what I'm talking about. Whenever I talk about public health measures, people sometimes interpret that as my being insensitive to the difficulties.
"If things don't turn around and change, as we get into the cool months of the fall and cold months of the winter, we may be headed into some serious issues and we really want to avoid that."
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