Anthony Fauci took the Fifth 111 times at the July 29 Senate hearing as Senator Rand Paul's committee pressed him on Covid origins, lies, and his pardon.
I doubt Fauci sees jail time. This hearing may damage his reputation — or actually strengthen it as well.
One thing we can take away from this is the fake science from the pandemic. I wrote about masks and how they don’t work. I got banned, but now we see that masks don’t work. Lockdowns, social distancing, all fake science: https://unorthodoxy.substack.com/p/in-2020-fauci-told-you-to-wear-masks
I just hope that people learn from the pandemic and do their own research next time instead of “trusting the science.”
Franklin and Truth Seeker. Great message. We must take responsibility for our own health and know that the elites will misguide us for their own benefit. CDC will announce the next flu or vaccine or pandemic or new virus... Doctors will recommend it.. It's NEVER because they care. They have something to gain from it. We need to wise up and don't give the responsibility of our well-being to strangers. Read and do your own research, not on Wiki but trustworthy sites such as the "GreenMedInfo:, Dr. Group, Dr. Ardis.... So many out there.. What I see today is some people want to be told what to do, to be given a "pill", they don't want to read or take the time to find answers, even if their life depend on it! And then they wonder why they get sick. I have a friend who has kidney issues and then I see her drink hard alcohol and beer a daily basis. And then she asked me for herbal recommendations for the kidneys. Strange logic but this is very common, unfortunately.
Here is a fix guaranteed to work. Take the short course to personal health.
There is no such thing as a "virus" as an agent of infectious dis-ease.
The Medical Cartel is totally dependent on this fraud to sell an endless # of quaxcines. Medical Doctors with few exeptions perpetuate this fraud.
As you point out depending on them for health care advice is shopping in the wrong mall. Medics shine at Emergency care, Surgical procedures, and treating some infectious dis-ease. That is it.
People have been trained to defer their personal responsibilities.
Fauci, an ashen shell of a man? He was the highest paid gov employee, more than POTUS pay, and he has the most amazing retirement benefits package, and he is exempt of prosecution with his presidential pardon and likely exempt from taxes. AND HE STILL PLEADED THE FIFTH. Justice in America is a myth.
Amen! Who cares about reputation when he won! Right? He has those millions to enjoy and life goes on because "we" have a short memory. It will be forgotten until the next psychopath or sociopath enters the scene.
No diary snippets yet? Taking a sentence or two out of context. Railing about the narcissism of the Evil One, for writing, "I am the most famous doctor in the world," conveniently leaving out the surrounding words - "I still can't get over this media frenzy. I am the most famous doctor in the world, like Elvis. The world's gone crazy."
That belief that Senator Rand Paul had an obsession with placing him behind bars was based on dozens of statements and fundraising messages saying just that.
So is he guilty? A liar? Was he reduced to ashes? The hypocrisy is stunning as always.
Donald Trump has invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 440 times during a single deposition, and at least 97 times during a prior civil case. So is he guilty? A liar?
Polygrapher Loo, of all people, knows why Dr. Fauci would not want to respond to hostile, hellbent interrogators - armed with every word he's ever said, written or thought. Seems it would be impossible for him not to contradict himself at some point.
The hearing on proximal origins of covid was never meant to be anything more than a Fauci bashing for the cameras. Was the diminutive 85 year old man ashen? How did one guy become the focus, as if he were King Trump Himself?
Having the time of his life - Nov. 7, 2021 (19-months in) - page 923 of 1141:
"I went to a book party last night for Jonathan’s new book. It took place at the Cafe Milano. The place was incredibly crowded and I was forced to take my mask off for 2/3 of the time I was there since they were serving drinks and people were taking selfies. I was totally swamped all night by people wanting to say hello, shake my hands, and take pictures with me. I could not get away from it. Although some people may think that this is great to have people treat you like Elvis Presley, but it was really very unnerving. ... The book party was punctuated by Bill Hughes getting a vasovagal attack and we tended to him at the bar. We called an ambulance, but Ann took him home after we documented that he was stable. When I went home I was nervous all night looking at the ceiling concerned about having gotten infected in that very crowded restaurant. ... that worried me a lot. I'm supposed to go to an even bigger black tie affair at the home of the French ambassador tomorrow. I think I am going to cancel since I don't want to go through the nerve-wracking experience that I did last night, handshakes, selfies and worrying about having gotten infected."
Instead of passing the legislation protecting against dangerous research that already has bipartisan support, Rand Paul and John Ronson spend their time and efforts fertilizing the base's frenzy. Two bills, one ready to go.
My husband, Christian Naggiar, wrote this poem over 3.5 years ago...His "dramatic" reading of this poem in a video uploaded to YouTube over 3.5 years ago resulted in 2 strikes & YouTube removed the video.
Here's the poem:
Safe and Effective?
"Safe and effective"…Do we all remember those words?...
Repeating them over and over again, that's all we ever heard...
Now that we are allowed to say what we knew back then...
When the shots first came out...so many were full of doubt...
But we couldn't speak up or we would be kicked out...
Of social media and even our job...
All because we refused to follow the mob...
"Safe and effective"…Do you still believe?...
Many people still do, and I can't conceive...
Of what's going through their brain, if they have one at all...
Maybe they will learn after they take the big fall...
"Safe and effective"…Are you serious right now?...Please tell me how?...
You're still taking the shot...even though...all the evidence shows...
It does not...keep you from catching or spreading covid-19...
Don’t tell me you could not have foreseen...
All the disabilities and death from an experimental "vaccine"...
The damage caused by all the mandates is absolutely obscene...
"Safe and effective?"…At this point you're a fool...
Forcing kids to get the shot or they can't go to school?!?...
Giving in to this big lie...without asking why...
"Safe and effective??"…More data keeps coming out...
YOU are all the guinea pigs, without a doubt...
Many of you are just finding that out...
That the FDA and Big Pharma asked for 75 years...
Before releasing any data, hiding our worst fears?...
Something is very wrong around here...
Alienating and humiliating us if we didn't take the shot...
And yet they are NOT...safe or effective...I think we all know by now...
Yet they forced so many of you to take the jab somehow...
The mandates were such a bad call...
But to Big Pharma and our government, it was the best decision of all...
The amount of money they made is absolutely disgusting...
Many people will die because they were trusting...
Our so-called medical and pharmaceutical professionals…such a betrayal...
That proved for so many to be fatal...
All By Design...They have known for a long time...
There’s been a spike…of young and old alike…
“Dying mysteriously,” along with aggressive cancers increasing, & more...
They are purposely destroying Humanity at its core...
Two pieces of proposed legislation going nowhere, including Rand Paul introduced SB 854 The Risky Research Review Act, which passed through committee 12-2 - string bipartisan support A year ago.
Senate Bill 738 - Dangerous Viral Gain of Function Research Moratorium
Most articles on this subject rely on the silly diary entries (although not that silly that he was having the time of his life when the rest of us were clearly..not). This one gave me insight into more serious questions about his ethics as well as how little he seemed to care about the devastating consequences that might come about as a result of the decisions he made.
Did he honestly think that there would never be ANY reasonable questions that he would have to answer?
The most stringent "lockdowns" were dutring Trump's reign, and they weren't top-down dictates. Each state determined its own policies (beyond federal functions like air and rail travel). Even CDC and OSHA recommendations were not his calls.
You weren’t paying attention if you think that Covid “task force” did not have significant influence over OSHA and the CDC. Read his emails!
And invoking the name of Trump is just lazy! I took issue then with many of the president’s decisions on how to handle this and in whom he placed a great deal of trust. Not to mention the “vaccine” that the president STILL refuses to disavow! Not everything comes down to Trump or no Trump.
And the states that DID exercise their rights to defy the “guidance” coming from Washington took a LOT of heat for it. Do you remember that? You imply that every state could decide whatever they wanted for themselves. No. It was not that simple and even those that expressed a desire to depart from the lunacy took too long to do so because of the pressure exerted from the top - Trump saw the error of his ways way too late.
"Had Zoom with Jeff and the team to go over the POTUS speech for tonight to commemorate the 1 year anniversary from the time (March 11, 2020) when the WHO declared this a pandemic of global health concern. ... Also, I have been pushing with Jeff and Rochelle to have the CDC be a bit less “risk averse” in their recommendations of what a person can do once they are fully vaccinated. The CDC really needs to step up and give recommendations for travel, workplace, houses of worship. They are dragging their feet. I am gently coaching Rochelle to go by her own instincts and not always yielding to the rigidity of the career CDC staff."
The emails and diary show multiple agencies with multiple leaders, answering to multiple stakeholders and nonstop media.
April 26, 2021;
"I had an interesting conversation with Vivek late last night. He called me up after we had a meeting with Jeff and the medical team concerning the guidelines that the CDC was about to put out regarding the wearing of masks outdoors as well as indoors in vaccinated versus unvaccinated people. Vivek was concerned about something that I had been concerned about for a long period of time. That is the CDC often puts things out that none of us can really adequately defend because it is either unclear or just does not make any sense. This is exactly what happened last night when Rochelle presented a color-coded guideline that no one could really understand . Yet, the CDC was about to put it out. To her credit, Rochelle ran it by the medical team. Rochelle is in a difficult position since she is new in the job and is reluctant the contradict her team which has been in place for decades. That is really the fundamental problem of the CDC. For as long as anyone can remember they are isolated in Atlanta, are extremely arrogant, and are offended if anyone on the outside asks to see their material before they actually put it out. They are very close-to-the-vest. I have known this for some time as have my colleagues here at NIH. However, it is interesting and in some respects gratifying that Vivek has now picked that up on his own and fully realizes the problem."
And yet he publicly expressed entirely different opinions than he espouses here. That was part of the problem! I concede that the whole thing was out of hand and that there was SO much going on behind the scenes that turned out to be wholly inconsistent with what we were being told.
I KNOW I don’t have the full knowledge of the science nor the expertise to understand the complexity. I do think it was handled poorly by a number of people and like I said, the American people have made him the villain because he sold himself as the pinnacle of power over everything that was happening. His PR was so ill-advised, and suppressing dissent about everything from early treatment to vaccination was the most egregious aspect of his conduct.
Let’s don’t even start on the press.
Arguing this issue without emotion is so hard to do because we all have some kind of unpleasant experience that is attached to COVID. I know I cannot divorce my emotions from it. I do wish those that we elect to represent us would stop fanning the flames of resentment toward Dr, Fauci, who is simplistically viewed as the standard bearer of all that was bad about that seemingly endless period of time.
If there hadn’t been so many truly devastating consequences - and I’m not talking about what fame and fortune accrued to Anthony Fauci personally - then perhaps it wouldn’t be so charged with passion today. However, “if only” is a waste of time. And that’s what the hearing seemed to be about from the critics of the man.
All of that to say I commend your argument and appreciate the civil discourse.
It was ongoing over 18+ months - over two very different administrations, with different masters. He and Walinsky and Murthy (a bit less) were each doing multiple interviews daily. This "diary" is largely his journaling - attempts to keep track of the messaging, and the advancing science, etc. Not so he could impress others with all the famous people he met and talked to and places he went. Did he think it was cool meeting some of them? I would.
Clearly, he thought masking helped, he thought vaccines helped. Continuing to bang this drum, portraying him and "them" as conniving liars is distractionary, counterproductive political opportunism.
And yet there he was. I never got the impression he was ever uncomfortable with the media spotlight. And I’m talking about when it was actually happening.
Look, just the fact that a grown man overseeing the policies and decisions during an unprecedented health crisis, is spending even one minute celebrity name-dropping and recounting all the fab events he is attending, is inevitably going to raise a feeling of contempt in the people that were NOT making a ton of money and hobnobbing with the glitterati.
I don’t know how anyone can read those particular entries and conclude that he was anything but thrilled. However, I think it’s a distraction to emphasize that stuff when there are serious questions about his behavior that unfortunately did much more than create envy or resentment for Anthony Fauci.
What I do think is worth spending time on is how that debacle happened and whether we can be wise enough to avoid placing that much power in an unelected and unaccountable bureaucrat so that it doesn’t happen again. Anthony Fauci simply did not have the humility or wisdom to handle that position during that time.
I agree with one sentence Senator Moreno said - “you lost your way”. I’m in no position to judge anybody but I can see someone forgetting the bigger picture and believing the flattering, unctuous press that was overwhelmingly present around Dr. Fauci. He lost perspective. And while he did that, a lot of plain old people suffered.
Was every bit of it his fault? Of course not. But when you live by the sword, you die by the sword. He was eager enough to make himself the all-knowing expert who frequently dismissed, if not suppressed, dissent. It’s a little late to be dodging the spotlight now.
Seems like Rand Paul and Ron Johnson really lost their way. Someone else commented about proposed new regulations and laws in the works, but left idle sine summer 2025.
Fauci was working full time and then some into his 80s, and sure, there's probably some narcissism in a longtime leader, but do you really think that's what kept him going? If his whooping $12 million fortune motivated him, he would have quit long ago and taken a lucrative industry position - or just consulted for 10 or 30 thousand daily. Given speeches for ... How much was Hillary Clinton getting?
I'm not a "Fauci Stan," but the mob calls for crucification are ....
I can’t really argue with those points. They are reasonable. I really don’t think he was motivated by money nor do I buy into him being a selfless public servant. The truth is somewhere in between, I guess. I know human nature though (mine included) and pride can take on a mind of its own and it can drive a person and blind him or her to pitfalls.
I’m not at all comfortable with public humiliation - I wasn’t comfortable when it was done to Donald Trump and I would be devoid of character if I suddenly began to enjoy it in this situation.
I also have to agree with those that pointed out how this did nothing to advance legislation that just might make inroads into addressing what I claim to care about, so there’s that.
It smacks of the J6 show trial - a stage for people to ridicule and pick and choose their outrage. Alas, politics.
Louis, this is one of the most well-written articles I've ever had the pleasure of reading! It stands out in a sea of literary mediocrity as a breath of fresh air. Thank you for your professionalism and candor. What our main stream media has become is - I struggle for the word - devastating to our republic. I congratulate MAHA for its outstanding work and preemptively mourn the future when it will inevitably end. America desperately needs representative government back again.
I doubt Fauci sees jail time. This hearing may damage his reputation — or actually strengthen it as well.
One thing we can take away from this is the fake science from the pandemic. I wrote about masks and how they don’t work. I got banned, but now we see that masks don’t work. Lockdowns, social distancing, all fake science: https://unorthodoxy.substack.com/p/in-2020-fauci-told-you-to-wear-masks
I just hope that people learn from the pandemic and do their own research next time instead of “trusting the science.”
Mr. Conte got some of the important points while totally missing others.
Fauci's lead attorney was removed from the hearing after several warnings by
Dr. Paul. That is a tell.
The other main factoid consistently missed here on the Beacon ( was a much better name)
is the fact that millions of people did not use their own knowledge much less wisdom
and blindly went along with this fool. That is on THEM.
Purebloods paid him no heed, ever.
Unless Americans learn the lesson of personal responsibility for health it will repeat...
Franklin and Truth Seeker. Great message. We must take responsibility for our own health and know that the elites will misguide us for their own benefit. CDC will announce the next flu or vaccine or pandemic or new virus... Doctors will recommend it.. It's NEVER because they care. They have something to gain from it. We need to wise up and don't give the responsibility of our well-being to strangers. Read and do your own research, not on Wiki but trustworthy sites such as the "GreenMedInfo:, Dr. Group, Dr. Ardis.... So many out there.. What I see today is some people want to be told what to do, to be given a "pill", they don't want to read or take the time to find answers, even if their life depend on it! And then they wonder why they get sick. I have a friend who has kidney issues and then I see her drink hard alcohol and beer a daily basis. And then she asked me for herbal recommendations for the kidneys. Strange logic but this is very common, unfortunately.
that is true, misguiding is deliberate
Here is a fix guaranteed to work. Take the short course to personal health.
There is no such thing as a "virus" as an agent of infectious dis-ease.
The Medical Cartel is totally dependent on this fraud to sell an endless # of quaxcines. Medical Doctors with few exeptions perpetuate this fraud.
As you point out depending on them for health care advice is shopping in the wrong mall. Medics shine at Emergency care, Surgical procedures, and treating some infectious dis-ease. That is it.
People have been trained to defer their personal responsibilities.
Your friend is lost..., very sad.
Alledgedly, Fauci was executed long ago. This is a doppelgänger. Many are. Alledgedly. It's an old conspiracy theory...probably TRUE.
A poem my husband, Christian Naggiar, wrote over 3.5 years ago:
Pandemic Amnesty?!?!
A pandemic amnesty...Are you kidding me!!??...
Why is it that the ones who do the most wrong...
Are quick to sing the same old song...
Of course they are the first to say...
“Let’s move forward, don't look back, it’s going to be OK”...
Forgive and forget?? But they never apologize...
For the cruelty, name-calling, and all the lies...
Accusing us of killing grandma and grandpa! Just to summarize...
Many families and friends no longer speak...
No sign of remorse for calling us freaks...
A pandemic amnesty? You must be joking...
By telling us to take the high road, you're only poking...
The bear, yet you dare...to say the information was not all there...
All this time, you didn't seem to care!!...
Repeating opinions and views...as facts!...
And the fake news...made you heartlessly react...
Pandemic amnesty??...seriously!?...
Not one independent thought in your head...
Telling us if WE didn't get the "vax", YOU would be dead...
Now denying...instead of trying...
To apologize for all the false things you said...
"A pandemic of the unvaccinated"…remember those words??...
We do, that's all we ever heard!!...
You wanted to make us feel...
Like killers and terrorists, but now it's no big deal??...
Pandemic amnesty?...You still don't see!...
V passports, mandates, people getting fired...we are so sick and tired...
Kids forced to be jabbed & wear masks, or they cannot attend school...
Now you want amnesty for being a tyrannical fool...
House arrest for the unvaxxed, trampling our Constitution...
Businesses destroyed under threat...of imprisonment, we did not forget...
That was your solution?...Dividing Americans like never before...
With lies, propaganda, fake news and more...
We don't believe what you tell us anymore!...
Pandemic amnesty? I thought it was a parody...
You really think you have nothing to apologize for??!!...
Bravo! Well written!!
"Learn from history..."
Fauci, an ashen shell of a man? He was the highest paid gov employee, more than POTUS pay, and he has the most amazing retirement benefits package, and he is exempt of prosecution with his presidential pardon and likely exempt from taxes. AND HE STILL PLEADED THE FIFTH. Justice in America is a myth.
What do you know about his standard government retirement benefits? Highest paid after 54 years, coming in with an MD and PhD? So?
Never confuse education with intelligence, you can have a PhD and still be an idiot. You can now go back to your deep state dungeon.
The fact that he was pardoned works in fascinating ways.
He is an ashen shell at best, forced to testify. The American people saw
the criminal for the "shell" This first acts of this play have eclipsed.
The final act remains...
You can wait till the cows come home but nothing can touch Fauci. Just ask Epstein in Israel.
Amen! Who cares about reputation when he won! Right? He has those millions to enjoy and life goes on because "we" have a short memory. It will be forgotten until the next psychopath or sociopath enters the scene.
No diary snippets yet? Taking a sentence or two out of context. Railing about the narcissism of the Evil One, for writing, "I am the most famous doctor in the world," conveniently leaving out the surrounding words - "I still can't get over this media frenzy. I am the most famous doctor in the world, like Elvis. The world's gone crazy."
Searchable text - See for yourselves - https://www.paul.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2026.07.24_Tonys-Diary-Package.pdf
That belief that Senator Rand Paul had an obsession with placing him behind bars was based on dozens of statements and fundraising messages saying just that.
So is he guilty? A liar? Was he reduced to ashes? The hypocrisy is stunning as always.
Donald Trump has invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 440 times during a single deposition, and at least 97 times during a prior civil case. So is he guilty? A liar?
They both are.
Polygrapher Loo, of all people, knows why Dr. Fauci would not want to respond to hostile, hellbent interrogators - armed with every word he's ever said, written or thought. Seems it would be impossible for him not to contradict himself at some point.
The hearing on proximal origins of covid was never meant to be anything more than a Fauci bashing for the cameras. Was the diminutive 85 year old man ashen? How did one guy become the focus, as if he were King Trump Himself?
Having the time of his life - Nov. 7, 2021 (19-months in) - page 923 of 1141:
"I went to a book party last night for Jonathan’s new book. It took place at the Cafe Milano. The place was incredibly crowded and I was forced to take my mask off for 2/3 of the time I was there since they were serving drinks and people were taking selfies. I was totally swamped all night by people wanting to say hello, shake my hands, and take pictures with me. I could not get away from it. Although some people may think that this is great to have people treat you like Elvis Presley, but it was really very unnerving. ... The book party was punctuated by Bill Hughes getting a vasovagal attack and we tended to him at the bar. We called an ambulance, but Ann took him home after we documented that he was stable. When I went home I was nervous all night looking at the ceiling concerned about having gotten infected in that very crowded restaurant. ... that worried me a lot. I'm supposed to go to an even bigger black tie affair at the home of the French ambassador tomorrow. I think I am going to cancel since I don't want to go through the nerve-wracking experience that I did last night, handshakes, selfies and worrying about having gotten infected."
Instead of passing the legislation protecting against dangerous research that already has bipartisan support, Rand Paul and John Ronson spend their time and efforts fertilizing the base's frenzy. Two bills, one ready to go.
I enjoyed Hawley's spittle, pooling as he performed for the cameras.
Moreno’s spittle deficiency was compensated for by his potty-mouthed faux outrage for Fox.
My husband, Christian Naggiar, wrote this poem over 3.5 years ago...His "dramatic" reading of this poem in a video uploaded to YouTube over 3.5 years ago resulted in 2 strikes & YouTube removed the video.
Here's the poem:
Safe and Effective?
"Safe and effective"…Do we all remember those words?...
Repeating them over and over again, that's all we ever heard...
Now that we are allowed to say what we knew back then...
When the shots first came out...so many were full of doubt...
But we couldn't speak up or we would be kicked out...
Of social media and even our job...
All because we refused to follow the mob...
"Safe and effective"…Do you still believe?...
Many people still do, and I can't conceive...
Of what's going through their brain, if they have one at all...
Maybe they will learn after they take the big fall...
"Safe and effective"…Are you serious right now?...Please tell me how?...
You're still taking the shot...even though...all the evidence shows...
It does not...keep you from catching or spreading covid-19...
Don’t tell me you could not have foreseen...
All the disabilities and death from an experimental "vaccine"...
The damage caused by all the mandates is absolutely obscene...
"Safe and effective?"…At this point you're a fool...
Forcing kids to get the shot or they can't go to school?!?...
Giving in to this big lie...without asking why...
"Safe and effective??"…More data keeps coming out...
YOU are all the guinea pigs, without a doubt...
Many of you are just finding that out...
That the FDA and Big Pharma asked for 75 years...
Before releasing any data, hiding our worst fears?...
Something is very wrong around here...
Alienating and humiliating us if we didn't take the shot...
And yet they are NOT...safe or effective...I think we all know by now...
Yet they forced so many of you to take the jab somehow...
The mandates were such a bad call...
But to Big Pharma and our government, it was the best decision of all...
The amount of money they made is absolutely disgusting...
Many people will die because they were trusting...
Our so-called medical and pharmaceutical professionals…such a betrayal...
That proved for so many to be fatal...
All By Design...They have known for a long time...
There’s been a spike…of young and old alike…
“Dying mysteriously,” along with aggressive cancers increasing, & more...
They are purposely destroying Humanity at its core...
Let's discuss RFK Jr's diaries - https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/rfk-jr-diaries
Two pieces of proposed legislation going nowhere, including Rand Paul introduced SB 854 The Risky Research Review Act, which passed through committee 12-2 - string bipartisan support A year ago.
Senate Bill 738 - Dangerous Viral Gain of Function Research Moratorium
Both languishing for unclear reasons.
Most articles on this subject rely on the silly diary entries (although not that silly that he was having the time of his life when the rest of us were clearly..not). This one gave me insight into more serious questions about his ethics as well as how little he seemed to care about the devastating consequences that might come about as a result of the decisions he made.
Did he honestly think that there would never be ANY reasonable questions that he would have to answer?
Oh. Guess he did get that part right.
The most stringent "lockdowns" were dutring Trump's reign, and they weren't top-down dictates. Each state determined its own policies (beyond federal functions like air and rail travel). Even CDC and OSHA recommendations were not his calls.
You weren’t paying attention if you think that Covid “task force” did not have significant influence over OSHA and the CDC. Read his emails!
And invoking the name of Trump is just lazy! I took issue then with many of the president’s decisions on how to handle this and in whom he placed a great deal of trust. Not to mention the “vaccine” that the president STILL refuses to disavow! Not everything comes down to Trump or no Trump.
And the states that DID exercise their rights to defy the “guidance” coming from Washington took a LOT of heat for it. Do you remember that? You imply that every state could decide whatever they wanted for themselves. No. It was not that simple and even those that expressed a desire to depart from the lunacy took too long to do so because of the pressure exerted from the top - Trump saw the error of his ways way too late.
March 11, 2021:
"Had Zoom with Jeff and the team to go over the POTUS speech for tonight to commemorate the 1 year anniversary from the time (March 11, 2020) when the WHO declared this a pandemic of global health concern. ... Also, I have been pushing with Jeff and Rochelle to have the CDC be a bit less “risk averse” in their recommendations of what a person can do once they are fully vaccinated. The CDC really needs to step up and give recommendations for travel, workplace, houses of worship. They are dragging their feet. I am gently coaching Rochelle to go by her own instincts and not always yielding to the rigidity of the career CDC staff."
The emails and diary show multiple agencies with multiple leaders, answering to multiple stakeholders and nonstop media.
April 26, 2021;
"I had an interesting conversation with Vivek late last night. He called me up after we had a meeting with Jeff and the medical team concerning the guidelines that the CDC was about to put out regarding the wearing of masks outdoors as well as indoors in vaccinated versus unvaccinated people. Vivek was concerned about something that I had been concerned about for a long period of time. That is the CDC often puts things out that none of us can really adequately defend because it is either unclear or just does not make any sense. This is exactly what happened last night when Rochelle presented a color-coded guideline that no one could really understand . Yet, the CDC was about to put it out. To her credit, Rochelle ran it by the medical team. Rochelle is in a difficult position since she is new in the job and is reluctant the contradict her team which has been in place for decades. That is really the fundamental problem of the CDC. For as long as anyone can remember they are isolated in Atlanta, are extremely arrogant, and are offended if anyone on the outside asks to see their material before they actually put it out. They are very close-to-the-vest. I have known this for some time as have my colleagues here at NIH. However, it is interesting and in some respects gratifying that Vivek has now picked that up on his own and fully realizes the problem."
And yet he publicly expressed entirely different opinions than he espouses here. That was part of the problem! I concede that the whole thing was out of hand and that there was SO much going on behind the scenes that turned out to be wholly inconsistent with what we were being told.
I KNOW I don’t have the full knowledge of the science nor the expertise to understand the complexity. I do think it was handled poorly by a number of people and like I said, the American people have made him the villain because he sold himself as the pinnacle of power over everything that was happening. His PR was so ill-advised, and suppressing dissent about everything from early treatment to vaccination was the most egregious aspect of his conduct.
Let’s don’t even start on the press.
Arguing this issue without emotion is so hard to do because we all have some kind of unpleasant experience that is attached to COVID. I know I cannot divorce my emotions from it. I do wish those that we elect to represent us would stop fanning the flames of resentment toward Dr, Fauci, who is simplistically viewed as the standard bearer of all that was bad about that seemingly endless period of time.
If there hadn’t been so many truly devastating consequences - and I’m not talking about what fame and fortune accrued to Anthony Fauci personally - then perhaps it wouldn’t be so charged with passion today. However, “if only” is a waste of time. And that’s what the hearing seemed to be about from the critics of the man.
All of that to say I commend your argument and appreciate the civil discourse.
It was ongoing over 18+ months - over two very different administrations, with different masters. He and Walinsky and Murthy (a bit less) were each doing multiple interviews daily. This "diary" is largely his journaling - attempts to keep track of the messaging, and the advancing science, etc. Not so he could impress others with all the famous people he met and talked to and places he went. Did he think it was cool meeting some of them? I would.
Clearly, he thought masking helped, he thought vaccines helped. Continuing to bang this drum, portraying him and "them" as conniving liars is distractionary, counterproductive political opportunism.
Anyway... have a nice day.
And yet there he was. I never got the impression he was ever uncomfortable with the media spotlight. And I’m talking about when it was actually happening.
Look, just the fact that a grown man overseeing the policies and decisions during an unprecedented health crisis, is spending even one minute celebrity name-dropping and recounting all the fab events he is attending, is inevitably going to raise a feeling of contempt in the people that were NOT making a ton of money and hobnobbing with the glitterati.
I don’t know how anyone can read those particular entries and conclude that he was anything but thrilled. However, I think it’s a distraction to emphasize that stuff when there are serious questions about his behavior that unfortunately did much more than create envy or resentment for Anthony Fauci.
What I do think is worth spending time on is how that debacle happened and whether we can be wise enough to avoid placing that much power in an unelected and unaccountable bureaucrat so that it doesn’t happen again. Anthony Fauci simply did not have the humility or wisdom to handle that position during that time.
I agree with one sentence Senator Moreno said - “you lost your way”. I’m in no position to judge anybody but I can see someone forgetting the bigger picture and believing the flattering, unctuous press that was overwhelmingly present around Dr. Fauci. He lost perspective. And while he did that, a lot of plain old people suffered.
Was every bit of it his fault? Of course not. But when you live by the sword, you die by the sword. He was eager enough to make himself the all-knowing expert who frequently dismissed, if not suppressed, dissent. It’s a little late to be dodging the spotlight now.
Seems like Rand Paul and Ron Johnson really lost their way. Someone else commented about proposed new regulations and laws in the works, but left idle sine summer 2025.
Fauci was working full time and then some into his 80s, and sure, there's probably some narcissism in a longtime leader, but do you really think that's what kept him going? If his whooping $12 million fortune motivated him, he would have quit long ago and taken a lucrative industry position - or just consulted for 10 or 30 thousand daily. Given speeches for ... How much was Hillary Clinton getting?
I'm not a "Fauci Stan," but the mob calls for crucification are ....
I can’t really argue with those points. They are reasonable. I really don’t think he was motivated by money nor do I buy into him being a selfless public servant. The truth is somewhere in between, I guess. I know human nature though (mine included) and pride can take on a mind of its own and it can drive a person and blind him or her to pitfalls.
I’m not at all comfortable with public humiliation - I wasn’t comfortable when it was done to Donald Trump and I would be devoid of character if I suddenly began to enjoy it in this situation.
I also have to agree with those that pointed out how this did nothing to advance legislation that just might make inroads into addressing what I claim to care about, so there’s that.
It smacks of the J6 show trial - a stage for people to ridicule and pick and choose their outrage. Alas, politics.
We agree to disagree. And good day to you also.
Louis, this is one of the most well-written articles I've ever had the pleasure of reading! It stands out in a sea of literary mediocrity as a breath of fresh air. Thank you for your professionalism and candor. What our main stream media has become is - I struggle for the word - devastating to our republic. I congratulate MAHA for its outstanding work and preemptively mourn the future when it will inevitably end. America desperately needs representative government back again.
except for the glaring omissions
Not being critical of the effort, am being critical of the omissions...
please elaborate. I'm likely to agree, I was complimenting the writing style. The questioning was theatrical.
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