Trump says he didn't listen to Fauci 'because I was doing the opposite of what he was saying' in Fox interview

Former president calls doctor a “self promoter”

Donald Trump bragged about doing the opposite of what Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told him to do during the onset and spread of the coronavirus through the US.

The former president's made the comments on The Ingraham Angle on Fox News, and they come as the nation enters its second year dealing with the pandemic that has killed more than 500,000 people.

"If you saw him throw out the first pitch in Washington, right? He is a better pitcher than he is at what he does," Mr Trump, who openly pondered the potentials of injecting disinfectants and ingesting toxic oleander oil, said.

He then admitted he largely ignored the health expert and did the opposite of what he suggested.

"But if you really look, I didn't really listen to him too much because I was doing the opposite of what he was saying," the former president said.

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The comments echoed what Mr Trump has said elsewhere.

The president was interviewed for the premiere episode of "The Truth with Lisa Boothe" podcast, which is hosted by Fox News contributor Lisa Boothe.

"I listened to him, but I didn't do what he said," Mr Trump said.

He then complained about how long Dr Fauci has served in his position.

"I didn't really elevate him," Mr Trump said. "He's been there for 40 years. He's been there forever."

Dr Fauci has worked in some capacity under every president since Ronald Reagan.

The former president, who owns skyscrapers with his name on them, complained that Dr Fauci was a "promoter more than anything else", despite the doctor's near half century career.

Dr Fauci became the face of coronavirus response during the earliest days of the pandemic thanks to his numerous press conference and cable news appearances.

The doctor publicly disagreed with or contradicted the president on several occasions, and could often be seen wearing an expression of embarrassment or exasperation while Mr Trump spoke.

Many liberals saw Dr Fauci as a beleaguered expert trying to save lives while dealing with an obstinate – if not outright malevolent – boss. Many conservative saw him at best as a bureaucrat undermining the wisdom of the president for political points, and at worst as part of a grand conspiracy to sink the US economy ahead of the election.

As a result, perceptions of the doctor formed along party lines, and he was predictably reviled by those loyal to the former president and embraced by those who despised Mr Trump.

Dr Fauci eventually disappeared from public appearances, thanks to Mr Trump forcing him to reject media requests. He was replaced in the limelight by Dr. Scott Atlas, who had no background or expertise in infectious diseases but did have loyalty to Mr Trump.

Just before Election Day, Mr Trump said he planned to fire Dr Fauci shortly after he took office.

After defeating Mr Trump in the 2020 election, Mr Biden asked Dr Fauci to continue working with the White House on coronavirus response. Since then, the doctor has become a regular figure in the media again, often discussing the Biden administration's vaccination campaign.