Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky) explained his confrontation with White House Coronavirus Task Force member Anthony Fauci at a Senate hearing on COVID-19.
"I think he's a good person, I think he wants what's best for the country, but he's an extremely cautious person", the senator said. "I don't think any of these experts are omniscient. I think they have a basis of knowledge but when you prognosticate about the future or advocate for things dramatic and drastic, like closing all the schools, you should look at all the information."
At the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Tuesday, Fauci said that reopening the country too quickly could lead to new outbreaks. Paul, who dismissed the scientist's conclusions, said, "I don't think you're the end-all".
"I think we ought to have a little bit of humility in our belief that we know what's best for the economy, and as much as I respect you, Dr Fauci, I don't think you're the end-all", Paul said.
He continued by saying that Fauci wasn't the sole person that gets to make the decision on the issue, claiming the US can safely open up with no further surge in the number of COVID-19 cases. "And the facts will bear this out", Paul said.
"I'm a scientist", Fauci replied. "I think we better be careful we are not cavalier in thinking that children are completely immune to the deleterious effects."
US corporate-owned media outlets have also recently said that there exists a clash of ideas between Fauci and Trump over the administration's efforts to balance COVID-19 containment measures while keeping the US economy afloat.