Fauci Comments Spark MAGA Backlash Ahead of Committee Hearing

Right-wing critics of the U.S. government's COVID-19 policies have leapt upon newly-released comments made by the former chief White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci—alleging they show his pandemic recommendations were not based on science.

The doctor and scientist, who was director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) from 1984-2022, is due to discuss his powerful role during the crisis as he testifies before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic this week.

As Democrats and Republicans prepare to question him about the advice he issued and the decisions he helped mold, a transcript released on Friday of testimony he previously gave to the committee in January has already sparked backlash from some. The testimony comes as politicians and health agencies from around the world assess their response to the pandemic and the impact on their citizens and their economies.

Members of former President Donald Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement and other conservatives have seized on the previous testimony, saying there was a "massive cover-up from the very beginning."

Some areas that conservatives have focused on from Fauci's previous testimony include:

• One key tenet of U.S. pandemic policy was social distancing, specifically the instruction to remain 6 feet away from others. Conservatives seized on Fauci's comments that the distance was "an empiric decision that wasn't based on data." He said the measurement was designed to protect Americans' health and the specific distance "sort of just appeared." When asked if he had seen any studies relating specifically to the 6 feet threshold, he replied: "I was not aware of studies; that in fact, that would be a very difficult study to do."

• Fauci also testified he did not recall being aware of any specific evidence about children wearing protective masks in school. "I don't recall specifically that I did," he said. "I might have." When pressed on whether mask-wearing could lead to "learning loss and speech and development issues" in children, Fauci replied that the jury is out on that. He said "there are those [studies] that say, yes, there is an impact, and there are those that say there's not. I still think that's up in the air."

• Elsewhere in his testimony, Fauci said a widespread theory that the virus may have originated following a leak the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) was a possibility. The source of the virus "could be a lab leak or it could be a natural occurrence" he said. A leak from the Wuhan lab as the cause of the virus had long been a talking point in conservative circles. WIV had received U.S. grant money, and Fauci said he was "not certain" whether foreign labs are held to the same safety standards as American labs. The grants are not subject to national security checks, he said.

• In another exchange, Fauci said his staff members didn't "have a conflict of interest" within their role in helping tackle the pandemic. That has come under scrutiny after uncovered emails from senior adviser, Dr. David Morens, who has faced accusations of trying to undermine Freedom of Information Act requests to hide official documents.

The amount of information revealed by Fauci's previous testimony ignited criticism from the right, even before his appearance before the committee this week.

Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul, who has repeatedly lashed out at Fauci, told Fox News on Sunday morning: "There is a massive cover-up from the very beginning... but ultimately the buck stops with Anthony Fauci. He was in charge of the place and he has a responsibility; not only for the cover-up, but also a responsibility for letting dangerous research go on that in all likelihood led to a pandemic that killed millions of people."

Newsweek reached out to Paul via email for further comment.

On social media, a number of MAGA enthusiasts also blasted Fauci.

One commentator on X (formerly Twitter) Steven Miller, who describes himself as a "patriot," wrote: "Fauci is a criminal. Never forget the lies he told in the name of science."

Another popular right-wing X account under the user name End Wokeness shared a screengrab of some of Fauci's testimony about the requirement for children to wear masks. The X user's caption read: "Under oath, Fauci admits that he forced our kids to wear masks for no reason. For this alone, he belongs behind bars. For life."

Other online commentators replied to some of the backlash by defending Fauci.

"The claim that Fauci admitted to enforcing masks 'for no reason' is a blatant lie," the X user under the handle 4HumanUnity posted. "Mask recommendations were based on the best available evidence to curb COVID-19 spread. Decisions evolved with the situation to protect public health. Evidence for children may have been limited, but recommendations were part of comprehensive strategies to reduce transmission. The call for Fauci's imprisonment is absurd and baseless. Public health decisions aimed to protect, not harm. Managing a pandemic requires nuanced understanding, not inflammatory rhetoric. Recommendations were made in good faith, backed by expert judgment and scientific evidence."

An opinion piece published on Monday by The Hill written by former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, also supported Fauci. Shalala, who worked with Fauci for years, said: "Dr. Fauci is one of America's most respected public servants and brilliant public health officials in the world [...] As happens with science, these public health officials relied upon evolving scientific data and committed their lives to reducing the threat of COVID-19 [...]

"Americans are devastated and frustrated about the loss of life and damage created by the pandemic. Weaponizing this anger against the nation's public health officials like Dr. Fauci, who has served our country honorably and faithfully for five decades, could have irreparable consequences for our nation and its respect by other countries. We must not weaken our country's ability to prevent and prepare for future pandemics for our nation and the world."

Newsweek has reached out to Fauci for comment by emailing Georgetown University, where he now works as a professor.