--- title: "Fauci: Trump’s Bungled COVID Response Probably Caused Many Deaths" description: "Top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci told CNN that Trump's bungled response to the COVID-19 pandemic \"very likely\" cost American lives." date: "2021-01-22" modified: "2021-01-22" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/fauci-turmp-bungled-covid-response-deaths" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "anthony fauci" - "coronavirus" - "covid19" - "fauci" --- # Fauci: Trump’s Bungled COVID Response Probably Caused Many Deaths ![Top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci told CNN that Trump's bungled response to the COVID-19 pandemic "very likely" cost American lives.]() *\Image: CNN\* Top United States infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci [told *CNN*]() this morning that the Trump administration's bungled response to the COVID-19 pandemic "very likely" cost American lives. "Particularly when you're in the situation of almost being in a crisis with the number of cases and hospitalizations and deaths that we have — when you start talking about things that make no sense medically and no sense scientifically, that clearly is not helpful," Fauci [told *CNN*]() in an interview. When asked if the Trump administration's disregard of scientific fact cost lives, Fauci responded "you know, it very likely did." The news comes after Fauci [told reporters]() during a White House briefing on Thursday that the difference between the two administrations was already quite evident. Fauci was visibly relieved — a [stark contrast]() to the subdued and frequently sidelined Fauci we got to know over the last four years. "It was very clear that there were things that were said, be it regarding things like hydroxychloroquine and other things like that," he said, referring to Trump's [highly controversial and uninformed endorsement]() of a drug that researchers later found to be ineffective against COVID-19. In only a matter of days, the Biden administration [has made it clear]() that decision making will be based on scientific consensus from here on out. "One of the new things in this administration is if you don’t know the answer, don’t guess, just say you don’t know the answer," Fauci told reporters on Thursday. ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()