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Dr. Anthony Fauci claimed he is “not concerned” by criticism leveled at him recently by Fox News host Tucker Carlson but claimed the comments could trigger “the crazies.”
The White House’s top US infectious-diseases expert on the coronavirus task force responded to remarks Carlson had made on his show about him, saying while he didn’t let it bother him, he believed there was a chance the comments could inspire more death threats against him.
(Relevant portion appears at 15:00 mark)
(Source: Washington Post/YouTube)
“I flip around the channels at night, which I probably shouldn’t. And I found this guy — you know this guy, Tucker Carlson? You heard of him?” The Washington Post’s Geoff Edgers asked Fauci in a live-streamed interview.
“He’s the guy that really loves me, right?” Fauci quipped.
Edgers noted examples of some of Carlson’s remarks, including calling the physician “‘Lord Fauci” and a “complete fraud,” asking, “Has America put too much faith in just one man?”
“Does it bother you? On a humane level, do you feel threatened or concerned when you see that kind of thing floating out there?” the reporter asked.
“I’m not concerned about what he says,” Fauci replied.
“It’s a little bit — I think you could say that when he does that, it triggers some of the crazies in society to start threatening me, actually threatening, which actually happens,” he added.
“I mean, who would have [guessed] when I was in medical school doing things to save people’s lives, I’d have to be going around with a security detail?” Fauci continued. “That’s really ridiculous.”
The 79-year old director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has recently had to get personal security after he and his family reportedly received death threats last month.
“He’s trashing me on TV, fine. If he wants to do that, let him do it. I’m not going to get distracted by that,” Fauci added about Carlson.
He also claimed to not be interested in the comments from people who appear to idolize him.
“I actually don’t pay attention to that, because that can really be distracting. I mean that sincerely,” he said.
“I don’t see the hero part, and I don’t pay attention to the death threats and harassments either. We live in an extraordinary society where public-health issues become so politicized and divisive that when you start talking about prudent things to do to preserve public health, that’s actually considered by some — hopefully a really small minority — by some as something worthy of threatening you,” he added. “That’s really bizarre.”
Carlson and others have repeatedly called out Fauci for apparent flip-flops on coronavirus recommendations, with his latest comments aimed at in-person voting, saying he saw “no reason” why Americans should avoid voting at polling locations.
Another Fauci flip-flop? Top COVID doc now says ‘no reason’ for Americans to avoid in-person voting https://t.co/mcImCysnrT
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) August 14, 2020
Carlson took aim at Fauci again in a monologue on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Friday, calling attention to his recent cover story on InStyle magazine.
“Remember when you respected that guy? Remember what he seemed like a legitimate public health expert?” Carlson asked in a monologue focused on the economic and emotional costs of the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns.
“We do. He was on the show. We treated him like a physician. Now it’s clear Fauci is just another oily politician on an ego trip, just like the rest of them. In case you haven’t been to a supermarket recently, Fauci is featured on the cover of InStyle magazine, photographed by the pool,” he said.
“Man of science. What a buffoon,” Carlson added. “But Fauci isn’t suffering during the lockdown, he’s loving it. Tony Fauci’s enjoying the hell out of himself.”
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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