Tony's Diary Package — page 252

ases yesterday. ',600,000/138,000 July 16, 2020 - Global USA Cases continue to surge. >67,000 cases yesterday. Hospitalizations and deaths going up. Problem emerging here. Mark Meadows is starting to be a problem. He wanted me to "walk back" the statement comparing COVID-19 to 1918. I was planning to do it on a schedule appearance on NewsHour today (Thursday). However, Mark called me yesterday and was upset that I did not do it already. He could not wait 1 day. I said OK and called Sanjay Gupta and asked him to quote me on his show and also write it on his blog that I wanted to clarify. I thought that he did a good job. Then this AM I get another angry call from Meadows saying the clarification was not strong enough (??really). Then on the phone he went on that I need to back off with media since this cannot be a "Tony Fauci show". He did not like the fact that I did an "In Style" piece and did not want any more profiles of me. If that was not enough, he hung up and then 120 minutes later called and said he read something where I was reported to say that the incubation period was greater than 14 days and wanted me to retract this. I do not remember ever saying that and so he sent me an article where Chuck Todd mentioned that I said that. I pushed back and got angry myself saying that I never said that and so I do not know what he wants me to do. I will try to track down that statement. I also will see if I can state again the 1918 clarification on my Face Book live chat with Mark Zuckerberg this evening. Trouble brewing here. For the first time, I am seriously considering resigning from the Task Force. I cannot tolerate people following my every word. You know he has staff looking up things about what I have said in the past. Teleconference with Matt Pottinger and Bob O'Brien to discuss opening the travel between USA and Europe. Right now there are exceptions for travel for business, but not for tourism. PRESS: Did terrific FaceBook Live with Mark Zuckerberg - 1.8 million viewers; July 17, 2020 - Global - 13,400,000/580,000; USA - 3,600,000/138,000 Records being broken daily. Yesterday 74,000 new cases. Hospitalizations and deaths increasing. Big issue - Despite all the walking back stuff regarding the 1918 comment, Mark meadows in an appearance on FOX News and reported by The Hill, Mark Meadows said that my comment was "irresponsible". This is really bad. He is losing control of himself with the screaming at Francis and me and the demanding walking back on trivial issues like my comment on 1918 and the "non-issue" about the incubation period being greater than 12 days (which I never said) and now this comment about "irresponsible", I am thinking about resigning from the Task Force. I called up Marc Short for advice. Mark was on Air Force Two with the VP coming back from Wisconsin and could not