Dr. Anthony Fauci has become a household name during the coronavirus outbreak, frequently appearing on TV as a trusted expert on diseases.

Often tasked with setting the record straight on facts misconstrued or misrepresented by President Donald Trump, Fauci has been left in awkward positions in White House briefings.

A New York Times report on Monday said that Trump "has become frustrated with Dr. Fauci's blunt approach at the briefing lectern, which often contradicts things the president has just said, according to two people familiar with the dynamic."

Fauci also made headlines on Sunday when he said in an interview with Science magazine, "I can't jump in front of the microphone and push him down."

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Dr. Anthony Fauci and his tendency to set the scientific record straight have become a source of aggravation for President Donald Trump, The New York Times reported on Monday.

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, has become a household name during the coronavirus outbreak, often having to toe the line next to Trump during briefings.

While the doctor has usually kept his poker face, he facepalmed during a briefing last week, and his interview with Science magazine published on Sunday night made headlines.

When asked by Science how he had managed not to get fired yet, Fauci said: "Well, that's pretty interesting because to [Trump's] credit, even though we disagree on some things, he listens. He goes his own way. He has his own style. But on substantive issues, he does listen to what I say."

However, The Times reported Monday that Trump "has become frustrated with Dr. Fauci's blunt approach at the briefing lectern, which often contradicts things the president has just said, according to two people familiar with the dynamic."

Fauci's credibility has earned him some more slack with Trump, according to The Times, but his rendition of the facts of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, is more dire than the rosy picture Trump has tried to paint.

Even Fauci acknowledged a limit to his role in the Science interview.

"I can't jump in front of the microphone and push him down," Fauci said of Trump's misstatements about the coronavirus. "OK, he said it. Let's try and get it corrected for the next time."