Dr. Fauci says Trump has not attended the White House COVID task force meeting in MONTHS and for the first time insists on a nationwide mask mandate as cases surge

Dr. Anthony Fauci has revealed that President Trump has not attended a White House Coronavirus Task Force meeting for several months, despite the fact COVID-19 cases are surging and several states are recording record spikes. 

Fauci revealed the news during an interview with MSNBC's Chuck Todd on Friday, just hours before he appeared on CNN where he advocated for a nationwide mask mandate for the very first time. 

Fauci's two interviews - both on left-wing networks - are sure to further fracture the already contentious relationship he has with the Commander-in-chief.  

Trump has repeatedly hit out at Fauci in recent weeks, describing the infectious diseases expert as a 'disaster' and an 'idiot' who has 'made mistakes' and flip-flopped on mask wearing. 

It comes as the CDC revealed that COVID cases are on the rise in nearly 80 percent of US states and territories. 

On Friday, the country recorded more than 70,000 new cases of the virus, taking the total number of infections to 8.45 million. More than 223,000 Americans have died from the disease. 

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Dr. Anthony Fauci told MSNBC's Chuck Todd Thursday that  President Trump has not attended a White House Coronavirus Task Force meeting for several months

During his MSNBC interview, Fauci declared that he has not personally spoken with the President 'in a while'.

The top doctor also claimed that fellow Task Force advisor, Dr. Scott Atlas, was much closer to the President. 

Atlas was added to the panel back in August, and his beliefs about the coronavirus appear to jibe more closely with Trump's. He has been dubbed the 'anti-Fauci'. 

Atlas has argued against lockdowns and school closings, and once declared that COVID-19 was less risky than the flu for children. 

'I definitely don't have his ear as much as Scott Atlas right now,' Fauci told MSNBC.  

Fauci's disclosure provided more insight into his fractious relationship with the Commander-in-chief. The pair are pictured together back in April 

During his MSNBC interview, Fauci also claimed that fellow Task Force advisor, Dr. Scott Atlas, was much closer to the President 

Fauci additionally revealed to the left-wing network that the Coronavirus Task Force are meeting far less frequently than they used to.

'They the are certainly less than they used to be... We're averaging about one a week,' he stated. 

'In early spring we were meeting five, six, sometimes seven days a week. A few months ago, when things pivoted around to more of the economic reopening of the country, the number of task force meetings diminished.'

He went on to state that he still speaks with other Task Force doctors, including Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Robert Redfield, at least once a week via video chat. 

Vice President Mike Pence heads up the White House Coronavirus Task Force, and Fauci told MSNBC that the VP is still a constant presence. 

'We certainly interact with the Vice President at the task force meetings and he makes our feelings and what we talk about known to the President,' he stated.  

The US recorded more than 70,00 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, taking the total number of infections to 8.45 million

Just hours later, Fauci appeared on CNN, where he threw his support behind a nationwide mask-mandate for the first time.  

His comments came after host Erin Burnett played a clip of presidential nominee Joe Biden pledging to implement such an order if he wins The White House. 

Fauci stated: 'There's going to be a difficulty enforcing it, but if everyone agrees that this is something that's important and they mandate it and everybody pulls together and says, you know, we're going to mandate it but let's just do it, I think that would be a great idea to have everybody do it uniformly.'  

His comments contradict previous remarks he has made about mandating masks for all Americans. 

'A national mandate probably would not work,' Fauci stated just last month during a press conference.  

Also on Friday, Fauci appeared on CNN, where he threw his support behind a nationwide mask mandate for the first time

On Tuesday, Trump hit out at Fauci during a sit-down interview with Eric Bolling for America This Week, accusing him of flip-flopping on mask wearing. 

'I get along with him fine, but he's made mistakes,' POTUS declared.  

'He said 'No masks, don't wear a mask' and then he said 'Wear a mask'. He didn't want me to stop people coming in from China, but then he admitted it was a great move I made. I overrode him.

'Having said all of that, I get along with him. I like him,' Trump stated. 

'You called him a disaster!' Bolling replied incredulously. 

'He's made bad moves, but he's been there a long time,' the President then conceded. 

President Trump hit out at Dr. Anthony Fauci for flip-flopping on mask wearing during an interview with Eric Bolling on Tuesday