We admit, reading Trump’s body language doesn’t take exotic psychological training. But the fact that Trump was so plainly furious with Dr. Fauci that a White House reporter called it out is notable. Reporters don’t speculate, at least not without admitting they are speculating. Associated Press reporter Jonathon Lemire (who is very good and not a hot head) reports that Trump has been privately seething about Dr. Fauci’s ratings (!) and that Trump was “obviously angry” that Fauci delivered bad news about the pandemic during his testimony to congress. Lemire is delivering a fact, not speculation.

We all wish Fauci didn’t deliver “bad news.” The difference between us and Trump is that Trump would prefer that Fauci lie instead of delivering bad news that happens to be the truth. We are not happy about the news, but happy to get the truth. Trump’s attitude is getting extremely dangerous because he has the cult convinced that Fauci has been “wrong since day one” (I have read that very statement over and over on Twitter).

From a transcript put together by the invaluable folks at Rawstory:

“That’s the real tension right now we’re seeing within the White House and the broader administration,” Lemire said. “What happened with the president’s comments yesterday sort of boiled to the surface private frustrations he and his inner circle have had now for some weeks, according to our reporting, about Dr. Fauci.”

Trump resents Fauci’s credibility and popularity according to Lemire! Only – and I mean only – Donald Trump would resent the fact that Americans like and believe the top scientist in an epidemic. This reveals so much about Trump’s mindset. If he’s not the most popular and believable, he’s mad and hates you. Ask President Obama, or Dr. Fauci.

“We know one of the fastest ways to get on the wrong side of the president is to get more media attention than him — ask Steve Bannon about that, even Jared Kushner at times. In this case, it is Dr. Fauci.

We stop mid-paragraph to note that the above is simply unbefckinglievable.

More than that, they feel, fairly or not, Dr. Fauci sometimes moderates his answers depending on the venue. He sometimes a little more sticks to what the president wants to say when he’s giving an interview with conservative media, and then less so with other networks.”

Because Fauci wants to keep his job? Because he knows he has spent his entire life preparing for this moment?

Regardless, Lemire said that Trump’s anger spilled right over into plain sight yesterday (Wednesday) when Trump briefly met with reporters from the cabinet room.

“Now I think Dr. Fauci’s defenders, and there are many, will say he’s not playing politics at all, that he is just sticking to the guidelines,” Lemire said. “That’s what we heard in his Senate testimony the other day. He rankled the president, you could see it in his body language, you could hear it in his voice, according to our reporting, he was angry the night before, after Fauci’s testimony, suggesting it was undercutting his arguments, and his push to get Americans back to work.”

Ehhh, Fauci plays politics a little. Like we said, he wouldn’t mind keeping his job since – you know, he might save 100,000 lives, or 2 million – and in order to keep your job in the Trump administration, you gotta play his game a little. Ask Tillerson, Mattis, Comey …

Oh, and Trump is mad that the doctor and scientist might oppose Trump’s push to get people “back to work” – or “down in the grave” depending on how you look at it.

Lemire said that Trump is going to Pennsylvania to convince people that everything is getting back to normal. We are semi-getting closer to normal, but only hardcore Trumpers want to be “normal” like gathering at bars and square dancing. I will be convinced that Trump is sincere about his “back to normal” thing when they stop testing everyone daily at the White House, and once Fox News is broadcasting from their New York studios and with full make-up and hair done.

Until then, nope.

But the news is that Trump is acting – as he must, because he will never change – like the 13-year-old who really hates that kid that got Student of the Month and is getting more minutes on the basketball team, never mind the kid that asked that one girl to the dance – who said “yes!”

This is our president. And this is our president during the week we’ll likely pass 90,000 dead.

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Peace, y’all

Jason

[email protected] and on Twitter @MiciakZoom