During an interview with SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly, former President Donald Trump said he was unaware of the decision to award Dr. Anthony Fauci a presidential commendation, which Trump signed before he left the White House.
According to the New York Post, Trump pleaded ignorance when questioned about his elevation of Fauci during the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that he did not know who was responsible for the award.
“Not only did you not fire Fauci, who is loathed by many — millions of Republicans in particular, but also some Democrats — you made him a star,” Kelly said during an interview that aired Thursday on SiriusXM.
Kelly told Trump that his pundits believe that he kept Fauci around at a time when he was leading him down of uncertainty on how to handle the pandemic.
“This is the criticism of you, that you made him the face of the White House Coronavirus Task Force — he was out at every presser — that he was running herd for the administration on COVID, and that you gave him a presidential commendation before you left office. Wouldn’t you like a do-over on that?” she asked.
Trump and Kelly had not been in the same room since 2015 until their recent interview. During a GOP debate, Kelly, a Fox News star, asked Trump about his treatment of women, which infuriated him. He bitterly attacked her after the debate, and his supporters followed suit, leaving her worried about potential threats.
Megyn Kelly, who previously worked at NBC News, is currently making a comeback as a journalist-commentator with her podcast. The podcast has been picked up as a two-hour weekday show on SiriusXM satellite radio. Last week, Sirius announced they had signed Kelly to a deal extending through the 2024 election and beyond.
