America’s top infectious diseases specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci had been correct to assume in 2017 that former President Donald Trump would face “a surprise outbreak” any time during his four years in office. True enough, the COVID-19 pandemic exploded in the early months of 2020, during which Trump was gearing up for reelection.
But how did Dr. Fauci correctly and confidently say that a surprise infectious disease outbreak would come to pass under the Trump administration?
According to a report from Healio, a health journal, on Jan. 10, 2017, Fauci gave a speech at the Georgetown University Medical Center. The speech, per the Huffington Post, was titled “Pandemic Preparedness in the Next Administration.” The speech was delivered just days before the January 20 inauguration of then-President Donald Trump.
During the speech, the country’s top infectious disease expert curiously warned,
There is NO QUESTION that there will be a challenge for the coming administration in the arena of infectious diseases…
There will be a SURPRISE OUTBREAK.
Dr. Fauci had long led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), spearheading the organization since 1984, giving him insider information and capabilities to forecast public health issues.
“Trump administration will not only be challenged by ongoing global health threats such as influenza and HIV, but also a surprise disease outbreak,” Dr. Fauci said during his speech, as reported by USA Today. “The thing we’re extraordinarily confident about is that we’re going to see this in the next few years.“
