Chris Cuomo Chris CuomoGiuliani criticizes NYC leadership: 'They're killing this city' CNN's Don Lemon calls on Biden to 'stand at a podium' in addressing violence CNN's Lemon warns of Democratic 'blind spot' on 'riots': 'It shows up in the polling' MORE said Monday night that "telling the truth about [President] Trump" was more dangerous for Dr. Anthony Fauci than the coronavirus, with the CNN host noting that the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was not present at a White House task force briefing earlier in the day.

“Do you know what’s more dangerous than COVID?” Cuomo asked. ”Telling the truth about Trump as a member of the executive branch. No one survives that. Why put Fauci in a position of having to admit that Trump is wrong or lying when we already know that to be the case?”

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Fauci told Science magazine on Sunday that he is working with the task force to help ensure Trump's remarks about COVID-19 are accurate. He did admit, however, that there are challenges.

"I can't jump in front of the microphone and push him down," Fauci said when being asked about Trump's repeated assertions that China could have disclosed the discovery of the coronavirus up to four months ago. The disease first appeared in the central city of Wuhan in December.

Fauci told the magazine that he's told the "appropriate people" that the suggestion does not comport with the facts, hoping that the president would be more careful about his remarks.

A Monday New York Times report then alleged that Trump was starting "to lose patience" with Fauci.

Fauci was asked on Tuesday morning if the media was attempting to create a wedge or sow division between the president and him during a radio interview on Washington D.C.-based "Mornings on the Mall" on WMAL.

"That is really unfortunate. I would wish that that would stop," Fauci told hosts Vince Coglianese and Mary Walter. "Because we have a much bigger problem here than trying to point out differences. At the core, there are not differences."

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"The president has listened to what I have said and others on the task force," he continued. "He's never countered or overridden me. The idea of just pitting one against the other is just not helpful."

"I wish that would stop," Fauci reiterated. "I wish we would look ahead to the challenge have to get over this thing."

The White House said his absence from the task force briefing on Monday was not out of the ordinary since different members were being rotated in on a daily basis.