Axios memory-holes Fauci’s remarks contradicting VP Harris on ‘non-existent’ vaccination plan under Trump
Axios challenged Kamala Harris’ claim that the Trump administration left its successor no plan for Covid-19 vaccination. A contradictory statement from Dr. Anthony Fauci, however, was soon deleted.
The claim that the Biden administration had to start from scratch on a national vaccination strategy because their Republican predecessors left them nothing to work with came up last month, first as a CNN ‘scoop’ and later as the official position of the new government.
Biden folks are spinning here or trying to lower the bar strategically. There was, indeed, a plan from Trump. I listened in on govs calls on vaccine distribution. The plan had obvious shortcomings. but to say there’s nothing to rework is not true. https://t.co/RADv5dl8mf
— Sam Stein (@samstein) January 21, 2021
Some commenters saw it as hyperbole at best, and possibly lowering the bar for the Biden team in case their vaccine roll-out proves to be underwhelming. And Dr. Fauci rejected the claim, stating: “We certainly are not starting from scratch because there is activity going on in the distribution.”
Fauci, the director of the NAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases), was a leading expert on Covid-19 under Trump and is currently serving in the new administration as chief medical adviser to President Biden.
Also on rt.com ‘We are absolutely not starting from scratch!’ Fauci BUSTS ‘source-based’ CNN report on Covid-19 vaccine rolloutThis was the context that Axios provided when it tweeted on Monday the latest iteration of the claim, made by Vice President Kamala Harris in a Sunday interview with ‘Axios on HBO’. Hours later, the tweet was deleted and seemingly superseded with one that didn’t challenge her assertion. The story itself never mentioned Fauci and his remarks.
Axios deleted the tweet on the left which pointed out that Kamala’s claim seemed to be contradicted by what Fauci has said, and Axios replaced it with the Kamala tweet on the right which no longer includes the context from Fauci. pic.twitter.com/Wws9XX92Ip
— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) February 15, 2021
Ironically, Fauci was interviewed by the same program in recent days. It may have been a good opportunity to sort things out, but the issue was apparently never brought up. He was, however, asked about the fact that his name is now being used to describe breaking up with a person who doesn’t follow social distancing guidelines.
💔There's a new dating term called 'Fauci-ing'@margarettalev asked Fauci on #AxiosOnHBO if he knew what it meant. (He didn't)Talev: It means cutting off a relationship if you don't think other person is serious enough about social distancing/pandemic.https://t.co/5kuUOCG0bo
— Sara Fischer (@sarafischer) February 15, 2021
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