What they're saying: The White House pushed back on media speculation that Trump may fire Fauci on Monday afternoon, calling it "ridiculous."

"This media chatter is ridiculous – President Trump is not firing Dr. Fauci. The President's tweet clearly exposed media attempts to maliciously push a falsehood about his China decision in an attempt to rewrite history. It was Democrats and the media who ignored Coronavirus choosing to focus on impeachment instead, and when they finally did comment on the virus it was to attack President Trump for taking the bold decisive action to save American lives by cutting off travel from China and from Europe. Dr. Fauci has been and remains a trusted advisor to President Trump."
— White House spokesman Hogan Gidley
The state of play: Fauci, who has advised six presidents and held high government office back to 1984, is heralded on the cover of the forthcoming issue of The New Yorker as "THE MOST TRUSTED MAN IN AMERICA" — and rising celebrity is always dangerous for a Trump adviser.