As President Donald Trump fights his way through the final days of the presidential campaign denying the pandemic -- by lashing out at doctors, disputing science and slashing the press for highlighting rising coronavirus case counts -- the long-running rift between the White House and Dr. Anthony Fauci burst into the open Saturday night.

For months as Trump undercut his own medical experts, sidelined scientists and refused to take basic steps to control the virus while mocking former Vice President Joe Biden for wearing a mask, the nation's top infectious disease specialist held his tongue and took the President's attacks in stride as he continued to plead with the American people to socially distance and wear masks.