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8.52pm BST
The Republican chairman of the Senate health committee, Lamar Alexander, defended Dr Anthony Fauci after Trump attacked the infectious disease expert as a “disaster.”
Dr. Fauci is one of our country’s most distinguished public servants. He has served 6 presidents, starting with Ronald Reagan. If more Americans paid attention to his advice, we’d have fewer cases of COVID-19, & it would be safer to go back to school & back to work & out to eat.
Related: Republican senator tries to distance himself from Trump: ‘He is who he is’
8.36pm BST
Trump is making his literal closing pitch to American voters, mocking Dr Anthony Fauci for his ceremonial opening pitch at the Washington Nationals game in July.
The president retweeted a message from an ally saying Fauci’s pitch was a “metaphor for how wrong he has been.” Trump also reshared a video of his own opening pitch for the Somerset Patriots in 2004.
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