The White House slammed Anthony Fauci after the top infectious diseases specialist ramped up criticism of the U.S. handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, predicted in a Washington Post interview published Saturday night that the U.S. is "in for a whole lot of hurt" from the COVID-19 pandemic, and forecast a rising death toll over the winter.

"It's unacceptable and breaking with all norms for Dr. Fauci, a senior member of the President's Coronavirus Taskforce and someone who has praised President Trump's actions throughout this pandemic, to choose three days before an election to play politics," White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement.

Deere said Fauci was "choosing to criticize the president in the media and make his political leanings known by praising the president's opponent."

Fauci told the Post that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was taking the virus "seriously from a public health perspective."