White House Official Says Courts Play ‘Important Role’ After Fauci Questions Involvement

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies at a House hearing in Washington on July 31, 2020. Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images

The White House on Sunday contradicted Dr. Anthony Fauci on mask mandate decisions and said that courts play an “important role,” coming after Fauci publicly complained that a Florida judge’s decision rescinding the mandate sets a “dangerous precedent.”

“Obviously, the judiciary has an important role to play,” White House COVID-19 response coordinator Ashish Jha said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “What you heard out of the administration, out of the Department of Justice [DOJ], is the assessment that this is an incorrect decision and the DOJ is now appealing this decision.”