• Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading US expert on diseases, claimed a lozenge was stuck in his throat during a brief but trending moment that was caught on camera on Friday, according to The New York Times.
• Fauci was seen gesturing with his hand to cover his face as President Donald Trump made a joke during a press conference.
• Fauci reportedly said that he covered his face to hide the incident from the news reporters.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who has been thrust into the national spotlight, reportedly claimed a lozenge was stuck in his throat during a brief but trending moment that was caught on camera on Friday.

Fauci, who served in six administrations since President Ronald Reagan, was seen gesturing with his hand to cover his face as President Donald Trump made a joke during a press conference at the White House Brady Press Briefing Room.

Standing behind the lectern, Trump likened the State Department as “the Deep State Department,” when Fauci appeared to make some facial gestures and covered his face. According to a New York Times report published Monday, officials asked Fauci about the moment.

Fauci answered that his throat had been scratchy and the lozenge he was having became stuck in his mouth, according to The Times. He reportedly added that the covered his face to hide the incident from the news reporters.

Facui’s gestures were picked up and became a trending moment on social media channels, leading some people to theorise he was reluctant to be at the press briefing with Trump.

Fauci has undercut several of Trump’s claims in recent days, including whether or not an anti-malaria medication called chloroquine was proven to be beneficial in the treatment of the coronavirus. When asked about Trump’s description of the drug being a “game changer” and “approved,” Fauci replied that the evidence was merely “anecdotal.”

At least one person ingested the drug and died, according to NBC News. The man’s wife told NBC News Trump’s remarks had directly influenced his decision to take the drug and led him to falsely believe it could have protected him from the coronavirus. As of now, there are no known cures or vaccines to the coronavirus.

“But I can’t jump in front of the microphone and push him down,” Fauci said in an interview with Science Magazine when asked about Trump’s mischaracterizations. “OK, he said it. Let’s try and get it corrected for the next time.”

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