JFC. Following from your post, here's what It looks like to me:
What the DS have set up is the narrative that the top doctors at any government agency are infallible. If POTUS had gone against their recommendations he would have been hammered with, "not listening to experts", 24/7. Anything he tried to do would have been blocked by lawsuits and rogue judge decisions. All deaths and economic misery blamed on his not following 'experts'.
So, POTUS, goes backchannel for pandemic advice, but gives Fauci and Birx top billing to keep the MSM at bay. US industry and ingenuity beat all expectations and Birx and Fauci are now hung out to dry.
All POTUS has to do is offer up evidence of political collusion between Gov agencies, the dem party/never Trumpers and the MSM and the game is over.
It's going to get ugly. The SOBs set this up because Trump was cruising to re-election.