MAGA Blasts Republicans Amid Fauci House Hearings

Supporters of Donald Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement criticized Republicans on Monday amid Dr. Anthony Fauci's testimony before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee regarding the origins of COVID-19.

Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), is testifying on Monday morning on Capitol Hill before the House's select subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic where he will be questioned about the origins of COVID-19 and the federal response to it.

Fauci, who has faced repeated criticism from Republicans over his handling of the pandemic, was a key leader in crafting the U.S. response to the COVID-19 virus that has killed more than 1.2 million Americans since 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Many conservatives viewed the government's measures to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, such as states instituting lockdowns, as an overstep. Others, however, have praised Fauci's role in working to prevent the spread of the virus.

The testimony by Fauci will be his first public appearance on Capitol Hill since his retirement from the NIAID in December 2022.

"Retirement from public service does not excuse Dr. Fauci from accountability to the American people. On June 3, Americans will have an opportunity to hear directly from Dr. Fauci about his role in overseeing our nation's pandemic response, shaping pandemic-era polices, and promoting singular questionable narratives about the origins of COVID-19," committee chairman Brad Wenstrup, an Ohio Republican, said in April.

Amid the hearing on Monday, MAGA supporters took to X, formerly Twitter, to criticize House Republicans for who they say are further abandoning Trump.

Newsweek has reached out to Wenstrup and Trump's spokesperson via email and Fauci by emailing Georgetown University, where he now works as a professor, for comment.

Laura Loomer, a far-right activist and staunch Trump ally, took aim at House Republicans for not playing "offense" following Trump's criminal hush money trial that was brought forward by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

On Thursday, a New York jury found the former president guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records relating to a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels by Trump's then-lawyer Michael Cohen shortly before the 2016 presidential election. Trump has maintained his innocence and says the case is politically motivated. His legal team says they will fight the case, which will include an appeal, if necessary.

"Get ready to be gaslit today by members of the House GOP @HouseGOP as they use this weeks events to further abandon President Trump and not exercise any accountability and not play offense. It's been 3 days since President Trump was convicted, and yet the Republicans have already found a new shiny object to focus on: Fauci and Hunter Biden," Loomer wrote.

Loomer, who pointed to Fauci's hearing and Hunter Biden's federal firearms trial that began on Monday, added that House Republicans "refuse to do anything" to help the former president as he continues to campaign amid the 2024 presidential election.

"Meanwhile, the House GOP and other Republicans could be playing offense in many ways that I am going to be pointing out, but they refuse to do anything that could actually help Donald Trump over these next pivotal 5 months before the general election," she wrote.

Trump and President Joe Biden are the presumptive Republican and Democratic presidential nominees respectively following a series of primary wins and are headed for a 2020 election rematch in November. Their first debate is set for June 27, with a second one in September.

In addition, Steve Bannon's War Room podcast CFO Grace Chong took to X to agree with Loomer, responding with a picture that said, "Mom come pick me up, the weak men are creating hard times."

Other X users and MAGA supporters also agreed with Loomer.

User Suhr Majesty wrote, "They won't do nothing for Trump. They're paid opposition."

User Vegas Conservative posted: "Great leaders create a sense of team, teamwork, and inspire loyalty among those that respect him. They ensure those in their orbit get praise and credit when things are going great, and take personal responsibility when things are not. Poor leaders do none of these things."

Meanwhile, according to the committee's press release, Wenstrup concluded his opening statement on Monday by noting that the hearing "seeks to ensure that federal public health institutions and leaders once again become accountable to the American people."

However, House Democrats have condemned the investigation into Fauci as Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland told reporters Monday that Fauci "is not some comic book supervillain."

"What's happening with the Republicans on this committee is a case in point. After using the select subcommittee as a megaphone for outlandish conspiracy theories, House Republicans have once again found themselves in a situation where their own investigation debunks their extreme political rhetoric...this investigation of Dr. Fauci shows that he is an honorable public servant committed to public health," he said.