The Many Blessed Faces of Dr. Anthony Fauci

Did you know that in a 1988 presidential debate George H. W. Bush singled our Dr. Anthony Fauci as a personal hero for his work on HIV/AIDS? (Video.)

I can't claim to know what motivates Fauci. I imagine he's trying to minimize the effects of the coronavirus epidemic by providing accurate information to the American people and to the people tasked with developing a federal response. I further imagine that job involves countering the distortions coming from Donald Trump and his administration as effectively as he can--until they fire him.

Fauci's been bold enough to contradict Trump and other officials when directly called upon. But the big risk may come from his face: the man simply can't hide his dismay as the volume and intensity of bullshit he's called to stand for. Trump hates to be ridiculed, and Fauci's faces tell the story of failed leadership and shameless dishonesty of the administration.

Let's take a look at Fauci in action, sometimes joined in dismay by Dr. Deborah Birx.

Here's Trump disagreeing with Fauci about chloroquine's promise as a cure for the virus. Birx's face is priceless. Fauci achieves Stoic

Here's Fauci trying not to counter Trump too directly--and Trump countering his message.

Here's Fauci's famous facepalm when Trump refers to the "Deep State Department."

Here's Fauci looking down when Mike Pence says we're ordering half a billion masks. It happens at 0:14. He goes on to correct Trump about sanitizing and reusing masks. Throughout the clip he looks like a hostage.

Here's Fauci directly contradicting Trump concerning the supply shortage.

And here's the priceless one: Birx and Fauci when Pence extols "the incredible progress that we have made on testing."

Let's all hope Trump turns out to be right about chloroquine. But let's also know bullshit when we see it.