Fauci Slams ‘Bizarre’ Right-Wing Critics in Fox Interview
Dr. Fauci defended himself against the relentless attacks he has received from those on the right, calling one of the claims flat out “bizarre.”
Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was asked by Fox News‘ Neil Cavuto, about the recent wild and untrue remarks from Trump’s former economic adviser Peter Navarro, who claims the doctor is a “sociopath,” a “liar” and the “father of the actual virus.”
“I call it the Fauci virus,” the seemingly always unhinged Trump sycophant said earlier this week.
Peter Navarro calls COVID-19 the "Fauci Virus" calling Fauci "the father of" the virus and accusing him of allowing China and the People's Liberation Army to "genetically engineer" COVID-19.
Host Rachel Campos-Duffy lets it slide. pic.twitter.com/5pINTVc8Pc
— nikki mccann ramÃrez (@NikkiMcR) March 30, 2021
Fauci told Fox that Navarro’s comments were a “little weird.”
“Peter Navarro saying I created the virus. I mean, how bizarre is that? I mean, think about that, Neil, for a second. I mean, is that a little weird? I mean, come on,” Fauci said.
Cavuto asked Fauci about a slew of other baseless attacks from conservatives, conveniently ignoring the consistent drumbeat of false virus information that Fox News hosts spread on a regular basis.
Fauci addressed comments from Senator Marco Rubio, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Senator Lindsey Graham and others. At one point the doctor seemed to hold back on responding too strongly, saying, “I don’t know how to answer that without sounding hostile.”
Again, Fauci used the word “bizarre” when speaking about Graham’s comments on the immigration issues at the border, and how that connects to Fauci—they don’t, and the doctor said so.
“It’s a little bit bizarre, I would say. I mean, what Lindsey Graham, who I like, he’s you know, he’s a good person. I’ve dealt with him very, very well over the years, you know, equating me with things that have to do at the border. I mean, I have nothing to do with the border,” the doctor said.
Befuddled, Fauci said that he’s become a target of the right but can’t be “distracted” because “I have more important things to do than worry about that.”
“You know, Neil,” Fauci said, “I’ve become sort of, for some reason or other, a symbol to [conservatives] of what they don’t like about anything that has to do with things that are contrary to them, anything outside of their own realm.”
“Quite frankly, Neil, I am so busy trying to do some important things to preserve the health and the safety of the American people that I can’t be bothered with getting distracted with these people that are doing these ad hominems,” he concluded.
