Trump Mocks Fauci Over First Pitch, Calls It Worst Throw in Years
Trump attacks Anthony Fauci in a Truth Social post, calling him a phony and a terrible athlete after sharing video of a first pitch he describes as the worst throw he has seen.
WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump ridiculed Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, calling him a phony and a terrible athlete after sharing video of a baseball first pitch.
Trump said Fauci had promoted himself as a skilled basketball player, then failed to throw a ball to home plate. Trump attached a video clip to back the claim. He told followers the throw was, by far, the worst he had seen in years of watching first pitches.
“He was a terrible “athlete,” and this is, by far, the worst throw I have ever seen in years of watching first pitches,” Trump said in the post.
The post continues a years-long feud between the two men that began during the coronavirus pandemic, when Fauci served as a lead public health voice and Trump questioned his guidance. The dispute has spanned public health policy, congressional testimony and personal jabs.
Here is the full post on truthsocial: “Fauci told everyone he was a great basketball player, so I assumed that he would be easily able to throw a ball to Home Plate. It turned out that he was a phony on that, just like he was on everything else (see below!). He was a terrible “athlete,” and this is, by far, the worst throw I have ever seen in years of watching first pitches! Trump” on July 28, 2026 at 8:35 PM ET.
This is Trump’s 21st message released today. On average, Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025.
The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 28 of his 456 posts over the last 30 days classified as “Uncategorized.”
Fauci led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for nearly four decades and became the face of the federal pandemic response before stepping down in December 2022. He advised seven presidents across both parties during his tenure. His public standing made him a frequent target for Trump, who repeatedly clashed with him over masks, lockdowns and vaccine timelines.
The post carries no policy weight and sets no new government action in motion. It reaches a large audience nonetheless, given Trump’s standing as the sitting president and his heavy use of truthsocial. For the average reader, the exchange offers little beyond a snapshot of the ongoing personal animosity between the two figures.
This is not the first time Trump has singled out Fauci by name. During his first term, Trump alternated between praising and criticizing the infectious disease specialist, at one point retweeting a call to fire him before the 2020 election. The two men have not appeared together publicly in years, and the post arrives with no formal response expected from Fauci.
No further decision or official action tied to the post has been announced, and no date for one has been set.
Mocking an opponent’s athletic showing at the ballpark is a tradition older than the feud itself. President William Howard Taft threw the first ceremonial opening-day pitch in 1910, launching a ritual that later drew scrutiny of every wayward toss by a public figure. Vice President Richard Nixon and countless politicians after him faced newspaper coverage when their pitches sailed. The lesson from a century of first pitches is plain: a single errant throw can outlast a long career in the public eye.
Assigned topic: Uncategorized.
This is Trump’s 21st Truth Social post today, out of 21 total today.
On average, Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025.
Trump’s last post was 44 minutes ago.
This post is not part of a thread.
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Photo by Zenger real-time database of all Truth Social posts.
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Photo by Zenger analysis