Dr. Anthony Fauci expressed shock at the “level of vitriol” following his testimony before a House COVID-19 subcommittee on CNN on Monday.
Fauci appeared on “The Source with Caitlin Collins” to discuss his testimony before a House subcommittee, during which he was grilled by Republican lawmakers about his leadership during the COVID-19 outbreak. After footage from the hearing was played, CNN host Caitlin Collins and former Daily Caller reporter asked Fauci how Monday’s hearing compared to other times he’s testified before Congress. (Related article: ‘Science is not one person’s business’: Lawmakers grill Fauci on pandemic origins)
“I’ve testified before Congress literally hundreds of times over the last 40 years. There have always been disagreements, ideological differences, criticism, but never have I seen the kind of fierce censure we’re seeing now. [not] “It was really unfortunate what actually happened at this hearing, as it has been across the country,” Fauci said.
“The purpose of the hearing is to figure out how we can do it better so that the next time we face a pandemic we’re better prepared and benefit from any mistakes we make. We identify mistakes and try to correct them for the future. What was shown in the video with Marjorie Taylor Greene is not what we saw today. Unfortunately, that had nothing to do with what we were trying to improve.”
During the hearing, Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene refused to call Fauci a doctor, saying he not only does not deserve the title but should be in prison for “crimes against humanity.” Greene noted that during her tenure, Fauci’s director at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) directed more than $400,000 in September 2020 to a University of Georgia researcher to test an experimental drug on beagle dogs intentionally infected with a pathogenic parasite.
Fauci was also hounded over an audio recording of a 2020 interview in which he argued forcing Americans to get vaccinated until they “drop their ideological bullshit.” Fauci denied he was referring to people who oppose COVID-19 vaccinations, but Republican Georgia Rep. Rich McCormick condemned the remarks.
