This is an opinion cartoon.

James Fallows, national correspondent at The Atlantic writes: “Anthony Fauci has been different from any other prominent official Donald Trump has dealt with in his time as president. The difference is that Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (since 1984), is not afraid."

One of the world’s leading experts on infectious diseases, Fauci has served as an adviser to every president since Ronald Reagan. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush. Fauci is used to telling the truth to presidents. The truth is what Trump’s predecessors wanted from him. The truth has never been a problem ... until now.

Though he has no fear of correcting Trump in public - heads have rolled for lesser acts of “disloyalty” to the king - he does so politely with grace and ease.

But what might ultimately cause Trump to lose patience with Fauci is the good doctor’s popularity. He is the star of Trump’s coronavirus pandemic press conferences. Fauci’s facts, science and integrity show gets far higher ratings than Trump’s chaos and confusion propaganda circus.

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Facts and science finally trumps this president’s bull and bluster? If so, it only took a global pandemic.

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Hang in there, Dr. Fauci. The world needs you on this stage.

Check out more cartoons by JD Crowe