Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases official, said Friday that President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 “superspreader event” at the White House is all the proof you need that masks work.
Fauci, one of the lead member’s of Trump’s coronavirus task force, spoke candidly about the issue in an interview with CBS News Radio.
“I think the the data speak for themselves,” Fauci said when host Steven Portnoy noted that Trump and his aides have not, until very recently, been seen wearing masks in public regularly.
“We had a superspreader event in the White House, and it was in a situation where people were crowded together without wearing masks,” Fauci continued. “So, let the data speak for themselves.”
It wasn’t the first time Fauci spoke bluntly about the White House event in question, which Trump held late last month to commemorate his nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Few people in attendance wore masks or social distanced, creating a “dangerous situation that can lead to a high risk of transmissibility,” Fauci said earlier this week.
“As you might know, I have been very vocal and visible about the fundamental tenets of public health with coronavirus, and that is universal wearing of masks, keeping distance, avoiding crowds, doing things outdoor more than indoor, and washing hands frequently,” he told the U.K.’s Times Radio on Monday.
Around three dozen people with ties to the White House and Capitol Hill have since tested positive for the coronavirus, including Trump, who said earlier this week that catching the deadly disease was “a blessing from God.”
A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus
- Get the latest coronavirus updates here.
- What will life be like once a coronavirus vaccine arrives?
- Everything you need to know about face masks right now.
- What should you still be disinfecting to prevent COVID-19?
- Is it possible you had coronavirus earlier this year?
- Constantly arguing with your partner about coronavirus risks? You are not alone.
Everyone deserves accurate information about COVID-19. Support journalism without a paywall — and keep it free for everyone — by becoming a HuffPost member today.