'Teflon Tony' in the hot seat at congressional hearing
Hearings into the origins of covid show Fauci has earned the title of ‘Teflon Tony’ by evading blame for any wrongdoing - mistakes were made, but not by him.
US congressional hearings probing the origins of covid-19 continued this week, with Tony Fauci, former Director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), in the hot seat.
The hearing had some heated exchanges and revealed the intense partisan divide over the US government’s handling of the pandemic.
Democrats gushed over Fauci, calling him a ‘hero’ and praised his efforts in leading America through the pandemic. Republicans, on the other hand, accused Fauci of heavy-handedness and of trying to cover up the origins of covid.
“Dr Fauci, you oversaw one of the most invasive regimes of domestic policy the US has ever seen,” said Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), chair of the investigating subcommittee.
“You became so powerful that any disagreements the public had with you were forbidden and censored on social and most legacy media, time and time again. That is why so many Americans became so angry,” added Wenstrup.
Fauci, though small in stature, stood tall and vehemently denied the accusations against him. He boasted his leadership at the NIAID put America in the best position to deal with the pandemic and scoffed at the idea that he bribed scientists to reject the lab leak theory.