Posted on 08/06/2020 6:02:07 AM PDT by MarvinStinson
Dr. Anthony Fauci ran into a buzzsaw named Rep. Jim Jordan when the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases appeared Friday before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis.
The Ohio Republican asked Fauci a simple question, “Do protests increase the spread of the virus?”
After repeating the question, Fauci said, “I think I can make a general statement — ”
When the doctor paused for a moment, Jordan used the opportunity to point out that on June 6 alone, there were “a half-million protesters.”
“Crowding together, particularly when you’re not wearing a mask, contributes to the spread of the virus,” Fauci then said, finishing his thought.
Jordan followed up by asking him if the government should limit the protests.
Fauci replied by saying that he didn’t think that “relevant.”
When Jordan pressed on the matter, Fauci said, “I’m not in a position to determine what the government can do in a forceful way.”
“Well, you make all kinds of recommendations, you make comments on dating, baseball and everything you can image,” Jordan replied, before asking again should the government limit protests.
“No, I think I would leave that to people who have more of a position to do that,” the doctor said.
The GOP lawmaker reminded Fauci that government is stopping people from going to church, citing the recent Supreme Court decision allowing Nevada to limit church services, before asking if “there’s a world where you can favor one First Amendment liberty — protesting — over another — practicing your faith.”
“I’m not favoring anybody over anybody,” Dr. Fauci responded. “I’m just making a statement that’s a broad statement to avoid crowds of any type no matter where you are because that leads to the acquisition and transmission. I don’t judge one crowd versus another crowd.”
Again, Jordan pressed for an answer, noting that while there have been 63 days of violent protests in Portland, there has been no violence in churches.
Fauci said he would not opine on limiting anything, only to have Jordan interject, “You opine on a lot of things.”
“Well, I’m not going to opine on limiting anything,” Fauci told the lawmaker. “I’m telling you what it is, the danger and you can make your own conclusion about that — you should stay away from crowds no matter where the crowds are.”
Jordan explained that in New Jersey, two gym owners were arrested just for opening their business.
“My bet is if these two individuals who own this gym were outside in front of their gym and all the people working out in the gym were outside protesting, they would have been just fine,” he added. “But because they were in the gym working out, actually running their business they got arrested. Do you think that’s okay?”
Again Fauci deferred, noting that as a public health official he can only point to the activities that should be avoided.
When Jordan asked if he could see the inconsistency, Fauci replied, “There is no inconsistency.”
Of course, Jordan was talking about inconsistency in the stance local and state officials are taking with protesters over businesses, while Fauci was talking about his remark on avoiding crowds.
“So you’re allowed to protest, millions of people on one day, in crowds yelling and screaming, but you try to run your business and you get arrested and if you stood right outside that same business and protested you wouldn’t get arrested — you don’t see an inconsistency?” Jordan asked.
“I don’t understand what you asking me as a public health official to opine on who should get arrested or not. That’s not my position,” the doctor answered.
Jordan was quick to remind Fauci that he “advocated for certain businesses to be shut down.”
It was clear that Fauci had no intention of saying protests should be limited. In fact, when Jordan summarized Fauci’s remarks to suggest that he said protests increase the spread of the virus, the good doctor was quick to correct him.
“I said crowds,” he interrupted. “I didn’t say specifically — I didn’t say protests do anything.”
Jordan pressed for clarity, “So the protest don’t increase the spread?”
“I didn’t say that, you’re putting words in my mouth,” Fauci said, unable to hide his frustration any further.
Not to be deterred, Jordan kept pushing him on whether protests increase the spread of the virus?
Instructively, Fauci said he didn’t have any scientific evidence of that, again falling back to say “crowds are known, particularly when you don’t have a mask, to increase the acquisition and transmission.”
Simply put, he would not use the phrase “protest” over “crowds,” likely knowing full well the political ramifications on the left for doing so.
Cancel all church services. Have protests against Satan instead. Problem solved.
I have seen Fauci squirm the same way when Rand Paul was questioning him. Apparently he is not used to being challenged. Sadly these two are the only guys in Washington willing to do so apparently.
Please continue.
For example....
Yesterday Fauci was whining to the media that his daughters were getting death threats.
I discounted that immediately. I mean, who would take the time to track down his daughters? They might be married with different last names, live in other states, etc.
But, as it turns out, Dr. Tony had been seeking more media spotlight and had actually given an interview to something called Heavy.com where he revealed THEIR NAMES, THEIR PHOTOS, WHERE THEY WERE LIVING AND WHO EMPLOYED THEM!
I was aghast. He literally put his own family at risk in order to satisfy his inner-attention whore. Nutburgers who would not have even thought of threatening them certainly did after the idea was suggested to them by this media piece.
His “masks aren’t good enough, wear goggles” are another good example of developments on the Fauci front since Jordan grilled him.
You’re right. Most of our republican congress people don’t seem to want to stand up to the insanity going on in DC. Some talk big but never follow up with action.
Thank you.
Regardless of above comments to the contrary, what Jordan did do is bring out FauXi’s “I’m not responsible” posturing, for all the horrors he’s truly responsible for.
I want him flayed, eviscerated and lamp posted.
Not to defend Fauci, but his statement
“crowds are known, particularly when you don’t have a mask, to increase the acquisition and transmission.”
says, indirectly but clearly, that protests that involve crowds do increase acquisition and transmission.
A “protest” won’t increase those things if it does not include a crowd of people.
Fauci isn’t going to come out against protests, nor would I, nor does the Constitution.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate what Rep. Jordan did.
But it was a week ago. This crazy situation changes almost by the hour.
I say we test your theory with my idea to hold a Fire Fauci protest in D.C.
I’m betting that he does not give that much deference to the First Amendment. He only wants to stay on the good side of Black Lives Matter.
If he showed up on my doorstep I wouldn’t hire him to mow my lawn.
At times my grass is actually taller than he is.
He wasn’t bad with Fauci. He was showing how he’s recommended the country be under lockdown, while not complaining about the rioters.
God bless Jim Jordan, one of the few to actually confront these liberals and their hypocrisy.
Fauci can sit at a baseball game without a mask with a person directly on his left and directly on his right and think there’s nothing wrong with this. But if YOU do it, OMG, you’re killing grandma.
Down here in Panama, they arrested and fined the Mayor of Panama City for swimming on the beach during a “full lockdown” day. There are pictures of him being grilled by the cops while he wears only swimming trunks.
On the one hand, it’s ridiculous to think that the virus is going to be spread while swimming alone on the beach but, if someone is going to demand compliance of everyone else (pay attention, Mayor Lightfoot), the least a public figure can do is not flaunt their hypocrisy.
“Yesterday Fauci was whining to the media that his daughters were getting death threats.”
Standard, tiresome left wing “victim” act.
Yes but it appears that he actually set them up to get the threats, which is disgusting.
“Fauci was whining to the media that his daughters were getting death threats.”
I guess that includes Allison (Ali) who WORKS FOR TWITTER.
Twitter is overrun with Lefty activists.
Trump’s official campaign account has been suspended over a COVID tweet. The Twitter employee who made that call was formerly press secretary to Kamala Harris.
ESPECIALLY wince more of those idiots are SHOUTING all of the time—spreading germs & spittle further than what happens in church!!
The solution is simple. Church goers are exercising their 1A right to protest Satan, gym patrons are protesting obesity, restaurant patrons are protestng hunger. Every activity can be defined this way as a “peaceful protest”. Easy peasy.
Get Sandman’s lawyer to defend you if you are charged with something.
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