Fauci: Lack of masks at Trump rallies frustrating

Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, said Wednesday that the lack of masks at President Trump’s campaign rallies is frustrating.

“Is that frustrating to you?” host Gayle King asked Fauci on “CBS This Morning,” noting the lack of masks among some attendees at Trump’s rallies amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“Well, yes it is, and I’ve said that often,” Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, responded. “That situation is we want to set an example.”

Fauci noted that public health experts “know” that measures like wearing masks, social distancing, avoiding crowds and planning most activities outdoors instead of indoors can help alleviate the spread of COVID-19.

“Those are the kinds of things that turn around surges and also prevent us from getting surges,” he said. “So I certainly would like to see universal wearing of masks.”

The president continues to hold massive rallies where people are not wearing masks, including the president himself. Is it frustrating to you? — @GayleKing

Dr. Fauci: “Well, yes, it is. I’ve said that often… I certainly would like to see universal wearing of masks.” pic.twitter.com/y0tCzoMePN

— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) September 9, 2020

Fauci has struck a more cautious tone than President Trump in recent weeks about the spread of the virus in Midwestern states after the Sun Belt and Northeast were hit hard earlier in the pandemic.

The public health expert had previously announced his support for “universal wearing of masks” to prevent coronavirus spread.  

Trump and his supporters participated in a rally in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Tuesday night, with many in the crowd not wearing masks despite a state mandate.

The U.S. has confirmed more than 6.3 million COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic and 189,699 related deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.