President Donald Trump retweeted a call to fire Dr Anthony Fauci after the top US expert on infectious diseases said lives could have been saved if the country had shut down sooner during the novel coronavirus outbreak, Reuters reports.

The White House later denied Trump intended to fire Fauci.

Trump retweeted a message on Sunday from a former Republican congressional candidate who criticised Fauci's comments during a television interview and tweeted “time to #FireFauci.”

The Republican president in the past has repeated critical tweets of officials or enemies rather than make the criticism himself. The retweet fuelled speculation Trump was running out of patience with the popular scientist and could fire him.