When reporters noted Dr. Fauci's absence during Monday's briefing, the administration had a plausible explanation: he did an interview with Fox News's Sean Hannity a short time later. But the doctor's continued absence on Tuesday made some nervous, especailly after he had contradicted Trump's rosy pronouncements, especially Trump's insistence that the US get 'back to work' by Easter (though Trump clarified during last night's briefing that only states with low case numbers should return to work).
But just as the administration suggested, Dr. Fauci reappeared on Wednesday, and, more importantly, continued to disagree with President Trump.
And as the NYT continues to publish more anonymously-sourced reports about the administration continuing to "sideline" Dr. Fauci (though, to be fair, at this point, the disconnect between what Trump has been saying and what the administration has been doing is noticeably wide).
There's been a lot of anonymously sourced trash talk, though some have speculated that Trump is simply trying to present a more optimistic tone while leaving the doctors and Congress to deal with the more unpleasant realities of the situation.
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Whatever the case may be, Dr. Fauci followed Wednesday's briefing by an appearance on CNN with Chris Cuomo, the brother of NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has emerged as a breakout star of the US outbreak for stepping up to handle the rapidly worsening situation in New York.
During the interview, Dr. Fauci didn't mince words: "The virus makes the timeline," he said. "You don't make the timeline. And if you keep seeing this acceleration, it doesn't matter what you say. 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks - you've got to go with what the situation on the ground is."
The doctor also warned that the US should already be preparing for the next cycle: "We really need to be prepared for another cycle," he said.
But not everything Dr. Fauci said during the interview was so glum: When asked about the usefulness of sewing masks for hospital workers, Fauci said he doesn't believe the situation is currently "desperate" enough to justify such action.