The Washington Nationals are returning to the baseball diamond and they’re bringing along a new ringer: Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Describing the nation’s leading infectious disease expert as a “Nats super-fan,” the team said that it was “thrilled to announce” that Fauci had accepted its invitation to throw out the ceremonial first pitch for their opening game on Thursday.
“Dr. Fauci has been a true champion for our country during the Covid-19 pandemic and throughout his distinguished career, so it is only fitting that we honor him as we kick off the 2020 season and defend our World Series Championship title,” the team said in a statement posted to Twitter on Monday.
The Fake President is the first occupant of the White House since William Howard Taft [1909-1913] NOT to be invited to offer up the first pitch at a Washington season opener. Another one-term wonder!
July 28, 2020: “President Trump reportedly caught both White House aides and the New York Yankees by surprise when he said Thursday at a White House coronavirus briefing that he was accepting an invitation by the team to throw out a ceremonial first pitch and would do so on Aug. 15.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/07/28/trump-reportedly-made-unexpected-first-pitch-announcement-out-irritation-with-fauci/
Trump backtracked from that plan on Sunday, saying in a tweet that he would not be able to throw out the pitch that day because a “strong focus on the China Virus, including scheduled meetings on Vaccines, our economy and much else” would prevent him from traveling to New York at that time.
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“Several House Republicans attacked House GOP Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming during a conference meeting Tuesday morning for supporting Dr. Anthony Fauci and splitting with President Donald Trump on a variety of issues over the past few months, three sources who were in the room told CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/21/politics/liz-cheney-house-republicans-jim-jordan/index.html
Anthony Fauci said Tuesday that he hadn’t been asked to participate in President Trump’s news conference later in the afternoon, which is expected to focus on the novel coronavirus.
Trump press secretary Kayleigh McEnany wouldn’t answer reporters’ questions earlier about whether other members of the task force, such as Fauci or Deborah Birx, would participate, saying they would need to “tune in to see.” https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/508396-fauci-says-he-wasnt-asked-to-join-trumps-tuesday-briefing
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said Tuesday he considered himself “more a realist than an alarmist” after President Donald Trump on Sunday labeled him “a little bit of an alarmist” even as the coronavirus pandemic worsens. https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/21/politics/fauci-trump-coronavirus-cnntv/index.html
Fauci’s comments follow a tense stretch with the President that saw the White House make a concerted effort to discredit him as he became increasingly vocal about his concerns over reopening the country amid a national surge in coronavirus cases.
“Dr. Anthony Fauci first-pitch baseball card breaks Topps record for sales in just 24 hours” https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2020/07/27/dr-anthony-fauci-topps-baseball-card-breaks-company-sales-record/5519546002/
“The Topps NOW limited edition baseball trading card featuring Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, set an all-time print record run for the franchise, selling 51,512 cards, the company said.”
“As the coronavirus death toll approached 150,000 in the United States, President Trump questioned why he isn’t as popular as Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert. “He’s got this high approval rating,” Trump told reporters at the White House, claiming that he had implemented many of Fauci’s recommendations. “So why don’t I have a high approval rating?” (Washington Post 7/29/20) https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/07/29/coronavirus-covid-live-updates-us/
“He’s got this high approval rating, so. Why don’t I have a high approval rating, and the administration, with respect to the virus?,” Trump asked.
He questioned why health officials in his administration are “highly thought of, but nobody likes me.”
He continued: “It can only be my personality, that’s all.” https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-questions-lower-approval-rating-fauci-coronavirus-nobody-likes-2020-7
“Donald Trump was not officially invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitch for the Yankees next month despite having announced so at a White House press briefing, according to a report by The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/27/us/politics/trump-yankees-fauci.html
Mr Trump told reporters last Thursday that he had been invited by the club’s president to throw the opening pitch next month. Days later he cancelled the appearance, citing his busy schedule.” https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-yankees-first-pitch-cancelled-anthony-fauci-baseball-white-house-a9642206.html
“The Error in Baseball and the Moral Dimension to American Life” (The New Yorker Oct, 2017) https://www.newyorker.com/news/sporting-scene/the-error-in-baseball-and-the-moral-dimension-to-american-life
“Donald Trump says he ‘inherited’ Dr. Fauci and ‘disagrees with a lot’ of what the nation’s top infectious disease expert has said during the COVID-19 response” https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8684205/Donald-Trump-says-inherited-Dr-Fauci-disagrees-lot-said.html
“Fauci debunks theories of low CDC coronavirus death toll: ‘There are 180,000-plus deaths’ in U.S.” https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/01/fauci-debunks-theories-of-low-cdc-coronavirus-death-toll-there-are-180000-plus-deaths-in-us.html
“Anthony Fauci issued a warning Wednesday about the continuing severity of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., and the need to improve things before the fall brings even more challenges.” https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/overnights/514874-overnight-health-care-fauci-us-has-unacceptably-high-level-of
“Emails show HHS official trying to muzzle Fauci : Emails obtained by POLITICO show a top aide at the department dictating what the nation’s top infections disease expert should say during media interviews.” https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/09/emails-show-hhs-muzzle-fauci-410861
“White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday that he won’t be silenced when discussing the science and facts about the coronavirus : Earlier Wednesday, Politico reported that Paul Alexander, an official at HHS, is trying to prevent Fauci from speaking about the risks that the coronavirus poses to children.” https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/09/coronavirus-dr-fauci-says-hell-never-be-muzzled-in-discussing-science-and-facts.html
“Fauci says it’s ‘unlikely’ there will be a coronavirus vaccine before the US election, despite the CDC asking states to be prepared by November” https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-vaccine-fauci-says-unlikely-before-election-2020-9