Although Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared on both CNN and MSNBC on Tuesday, neither network took the opportunity to ask him about controversial documents that appear to show that he lied under oath about U.S. funding of China’s coronavirus research. Instead, they asked Fauci to focus on what they consider the greatest spreaders of COVID-19: unmasked schoolchildren, unmasked sports fans, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), and churches.
In May, Dr. Fauci told Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) “has not ever, and does not now, fund gain of function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology.”
But as The Daily Wire’s Emily Zanotti reported, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from The Intercept found “evidence that the NIH issued a ‘bat coronavirus grant’ to a group called the EcoHealth Alliance for ‘$3.1 million, including $599,000 that the Wuhan Institute of Virology used in part to identify and alter bat coronaviruses likely to infect humans.’” That seems to refute Fauci’s testimony.
Lying to Congress is “a felony punishable by five years in jail. We’ve referred it to the Department of Justice,” said Senator Paul on “Hannity” Tuesday night, adding that “I don’t think Biden’s Department of Justice will do anything with it.”
Neither CNN nor MSNBC mentioned the documents during the interviews with Fauci.
On CNN’s “New Day,” Jim Sciutto promoted the masking of minors and fans at outdoor sporting events.
“I don’t think it’s smart” for sports fans to gather in outdoor stadiums without a mask, even if they are fully vaccinated, said Dr. Fauci — who was caught on video with his mask pulled down to his chin, talking, and not observing social distancing at a Washington Nationals baseball game last July.
Fauci added that government officials should demand “universal masking in the school,” grousing that “there are some government leaders locally who are trying to push back on that.”
Sciutto said that “politics still trump the science” before playing a clip of Governor DeSantis promoting vaccines, telling people that their choice is primarily “about your health … It really doesn’t impact me or anyone else.” Fauci said “that’s not true at all,” because unvaccinated people can become “a vehicle for the virus to be spreading to someone else.” He did not explain why that should concern those who are fully vaccinated.
Fauci also said he hopes that more colleges, sports events, and travel providers will say, “If you want to participate, you get vaccinated. If not — sorry, you’re not going to be able to do it.”
Today in Journalism
CNN’s @jimsciutto lands interview w/ Dr Fauci & doesn’t ask about @theintercept’s bombshell reporting he lied under oath re funding China’s gain-of-function research that likely led to creation of Covid19. (Instead he asks him tee off against @GovRonDeSantis) pic.twitter.com/NngfBC9DV4
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 7, 2021
That evening, on MSNBC’s “The ReidOut,” Joy Reid added another culprit: churches.
“The worst thing you can do, besides not being vaccinated and not wearing a mask, is for people around you to be shouting, singing,” she said. “We have heard about cases in churches where choirs are singing, because, as you are singing out or screaming out or yelling out, isn’t that how you spread it?”
Dr. Fauci did rebut one of Reid’s frequent fearmongering assertions: that the COVID-19 vaccination may not be able to protect against the virus’ variants.
“I have been likening it to like the movie ‘Aliens,’” Reid said. “Are you worried that we’re going to have a nightmare this winter, as these variants continue to evolve? Are we getting close to one that can beat all of our vaccines?”
“Well, I’m not saying we’re close to that, Joy. I think that would be a stretch to say that,” Dr. Fauci replied. “But I do say that there’s always the danger that that could happen.”
Interestingly, the MSNBC transcript of the episode has Fauci say, “I think that wouldn’t be a stretch to say that.” Video of the segment is below:
Despite Dr. Fauci’s media charm offensive, Senator Paul said that Fauci “has lied dozens of times” and has shown such “incredibly poor judgment” in continuing to fund the WIV’s research “that he should be immediately removed” from his office.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.