Tony's Diary Package — page 452

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.Frankie Alduino / Redux Pictures Fauci has spent the past few months speaking up about the stark realities of the pandemic -- honesty that is out of step with the White House's messaging and which seems to have resulted in his being sidelined. But Fauci's true courage and wisdom are most evident in how he has managed to strike a difficult balance: avoiding overt political attacks while still speaking truth to power. By walking this very tricky line, Fauci has probably avoided getting kicked off the coronavirus task force, ensuring that he could continue working from within the administration. This couldn't have been easy. I don't think the Trump administration realizes how much this unassuming and kind man embodies scientific excellence. But he's also got backup. There is a legion of citizen scientists, public health experts and medical workers who aren't giving up. Silencing one man, even a giant in the field of infectious diseases, won't silence those in our field. For months, efforts like the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Dashboard, the COVID Tracking Project and others have been providing the kinds of critical intelligence that should have been coming directly from the CDC. Over the last few months, our professional societies have started to become vocal advocates for evidence-based action, calling out this administration's deceptive and false claims. Longstanding and revered scientific publications have come out against Trump for his lack of leadership and respect for science.