Fauci Desperately Tries to Defend Himself on Lab Leak, Says He Wishes We'd Worn Masks Earlier
Dr. Fauci is back in the news, trying to defend his indefensible actions.
Fauci joined Fox News and Neil Cavuto, where he was asked about masks, responded by spreading more misinformation, and was confronted on the release of new evidence showing he was intricately involved in downplaying the lab leak theory early on.
READ: FAUCI ‘PROMPTED’ RELEASE OF PAPER INACCURATELY DEBUNKING LAB LEAK, ACCORDING TO NEW EVIDENCE
And in classic Fauci fashion, he contradicted prior versions of himself during the interview.
When asked if he ever second guesses himself, Fauci said "Nobody has done anything perfectly in this very complicated saga that we've been through." "Of course, we could have done things better," he continued.
He then (finally) admitted that he's not perfect, a huge step for Fauci's unimaginably large ego.
"I'm not perfect, certainly I'm not," he said.
Except, of course, in 2020, Fauci said in an interview, “I haven't been wrong, period. I haven't."
It's often hard to decide which version, the 2020 Fauci or the 2023 Fauci, to believe.
Fauci Lies About Mask Efficacy
Immediately afterwards is where it gets even better.
When asked about masks, he explained "we didn't think it was necessary to wear masks because we didn't have a full appreciation of the fact of how easily this virus spreads." He continued, "had we known that early on, we would have been pushing very much earlier than we were."
But yet again, that's a direct contradiction to previous iterations of the nation's leading infectious disease expert.
Fauci previously claimed that his initial statements that masks didn't work were made to protect supply for healthcare workers. Except now he's claiming he didn't recommend them because he didn't fully understand the virus. Which is it?
He's had so many versions of the same inaccurate story he can't keep them straight anymore.
But Fauci went further, blatantly lying to the audience by saying, "Do work? Yes"
Of course, numerous studies and observational evidence have confirmed that masks don't work.
Finally, because he's never tired of contradicting himself, Fauci did it again.
In August 2021, he said "disagreed" with people who believed masks should be a personal choice. It was irresponsible of people not to wear masks to stop infections, even though masks do not work to stop infections.
But now in 2023 during this interrview, he says there should be debate over the necessity of mask mandates.
This is not someone who can be taken seriously.
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 12: Anthony Fauci attends the 2022 Portrait Of A Nation Gala on November 12, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for National Portrait Gallery)
Lab Leak Questions
Cavuto also asked him important questions about the lab leak theory. In response, Fauci got extremely defensive about recent testimony from former CDC director Robert Redfield.
His answer on Redfield's exclusion from the lab leak call is extremely illuminating.
If half the people on the call believed COVID may have come from the lab, why did Fauci and Francis Collins work so hard to get a paper out, just days later, saying that they unequivocally believed the virus had natural origins?
There was no new evidence of a intermediary animal host, a pangolin, or any other type. So what changed their minds after just a few days?
The timeline, according to the U.S. Right to Know organization, is stunning.
On February 1st, Fauci was instrumental in organizing a call with a number of virologists about the virus.
Kristien Anderson and Edward Holmes, two experts on the call, initially seemed to favor engineering or a lab leak. But just days later they'd already created a draft coming to the opposite conclusion.
On February 4th, "A draft was circulated. Holmes, '60-40 lab,' said the draft 'does not mention other anomalies as that will make us look like loons.' Andersen derided the idea of an engineered virus as 'crackpot' and promoted the phrase 'consistent with natural evolution' to scientists outside of the confab."
More Fauci Contradictions
Of course, Fauci repeatedly claims that he has an "open mind" about the origins of the virus. But that's not what he said publicly.
Business Insider headlined a story in April 2020, "Dr. Fauci throws cold water on conspiracy theory that coronavirus was created in a Chinese lab."
It was just one of many stories where he dismissed the lab leak hypothesis without hesitation.
Additionally, when questioned about it, he referred to the paper that he himself commissioned.
"There was a study recently that we can make available to you, where a group of highly qualified evolutionary virologists looked at the sequences there and the sequences in bats as they evolve. And the mutations that it took to get to the point where it is now is totally consistent with a jump of a species from an animal to a human," Fauci said.
But he never acknowledged to the media hat he was instrumental in getting that paper released. And that many of the expert virologists he himself had communicated with, believed the virus could have been "engineered" and come from the lab.
So Fauci was being dishonest in April 2020 by omitting his conflict of interest with the paper, and was dishonest with Cavuto by saying he'd always had an open mind.
How can we say he was being dishonest? Because own statements show he didn't have an open mind.
And why would he?
As we now know, he was concerned about his own organization indirectly funding the Wuhan lab. As well as the impact on scientific research as a whole if the lab was deemed responsible.
Fauci Defends Risky Research
When given the opportunity to condemn the risky, gain-of-function research, that may have caused the pandemic, he once again refused to answer.
Instead, he appealed to authority, expressing concern about the impact on virologists if limitations are placed.
After a gain-of-function related lab leak was deemed the most likely explanation for one of the deadliest pandemics in recent history. His first and only concern is protect himself and his field.
It's classic Fauci deflection and misrepresentation.
And based on this interview, instead of taking responsibility for his own mistakes, admitting he was wrong and apologizing, he's going to continue doubling down on misinformation and misdirections designed to protect himself.
Far from being an "expert," Fauci is what he's always claimed not to be.
A politician.