Weeks after the release of emails to and from Dr. Anthony Fauci that exposed him to allegations that he made misleading public statements related to COVID-19, the infectious disease expert continues to face calls for him to face the consequences.
Most recently, a new report suggesting that he pushed back on then-President Donald Trump’s efforts to defund the controversial Wuhan Institute of Virology has prompted one Republican lawmaker to demand Fauci’s ouster based on his prior testimony to the contrary.
“He knew all along”
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) said this week that the top White House medical adviser “needs to be fired” for lying to Congress.
In congressional testimony about a year ago, Fauci provided the impression that he was left in the dark on the Trump administration’s decision to defund the Chinese lab.
Carter, who serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, made his thoughts clear during an appearance on Fox & Friends, accusing Fauci of being “more concerned with remaining relevant” than being transparent and honest with the American people.
“He told them that he did not know where this order came from when he did know,” the lawmaker added. “And he knew all along. We find that out now.”
The Georgia Republican went on to argue that “we don’t need someone who is more interested in remaining relevant and more interested in their own PR campaign leading this fight against this virus and against the pandemic.”
Fauci fights back
Fox News cited a forthcoming book that claimed Fauci “reluctantly agreed” to Trump’s call in April 2020 to cancel $370,000 in research funding for the Wuhan laboratory.
Just weeks later, he gave a contradictory account, telling lawmakers that he did not know why the funding was canceled.
At the time, Trump had been claiming that the virus likely originated at the lab. While that theory was dismissed as a crackpot conspiracy last year, recent evidence has led to an about-face by many medical experts and mainstream media figures.
Furthermore, the recently released emails show that Fauci and other scientists were themselves concerned that COVID-19 might have escaped from the Chinese lab.
Even as Republican critics ramp up calls for him to be fired, Fauci has continued to attack his detractors for “attacking science.”
The post GOP lawmaker insists Fauci ‘needs to be fired’ for lying to Congress first appeared on Conservative Institute.
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