Dr. Anthony Fauci criticizes media for ‘pitting’ him against President Donald Trump: ‘We have a much bigger problem’

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that the media are making a mountain out of a molehill when it comes to disagreements with President Donald Trump.

Much of the media dissected Fauci's weekend interview with Science Magazine, in which he said that he does, in fact, disagree with Trump from time to time.

He also said that Trump doesn't necessarily deliver facts the way he, himself, might.

"Well, I don't disagree in the substance," Fauci said of Trump during the interview. "It is expressed in a way that I would not express it, because it could lead to some misunderstanding about what the facts are about a given subject."

What are the details?

During a Tuesday interview with WMAL-AM's "Mornings on the Mall," Fauci said that he wishes the media would stop trying to pit him against Trump for the sake of headlines.

"I wish that that would stop, because we have a much bigger problem here than trying to point out differences," Fauci said. "Really, fundamentally at the core, when you look at things, there are not differences."

Fauci also said that he and the president work rather well together.

"The president has listened to what I have said, and to what the other people on the task force have said, when I have made recommendations, he has taken them, [and] he's never countered or overridden me," he said. "The idea of just pitting one against the other is just not helpful. I wish that would stop and we'd look ahead at the challenge we have to pull together to get over this thing."

Fauci pointed out that even when Trump disagrees with Fauci's assessments, the president is still willing to listen.

"[E]ven though we disagree on some things, he listens," he said. "He goes his own way. He has his own style. But on substantive issues, he does listen to what I say."

Despite Fauci's remarks, CNN shared an article on Tuesday titled, "Has Donald Trump had enough of Anthony Fauci?"

The article insisted that Trump might feel threatened by Fauci's star power — something the president is "uniquely aware" of, apparently.

CNN's Chris Cillizza wrote, "We know that Trump doesn't like any star to shine brighter than his. The more TV you do, the more the press writes positive things about you, the more Trump begins to turn on you.

"Maybe [Trump] recognizes that Fauci's expertise and the trust the public has in him is worth taking a few arrows from the brightest new star on the national scene," Cillizza added. "But I doubt it."

What else?

The president himself issued similar remarks on Tuesday.

In an interview with Fox News' Bill Hemmer, Trump said that he and Fauci — who is part of the White House coronavirus task force — "get along very well."

"I think it's been very good," he said, and pointed out the importance of Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, who is also part of the White House's task force to battle COVID-19.

"I respect all of these people," he said. "These are great people. Deborah's extraordinary. Tony's extraordinary. I get along with all of them."