Dr. Anthony Fauci addressed the many attacks and threats he’s had to deal with as a result of the many conspiracies that have been fueled by conservative circles and Republican Congress members.
These revelations came up during Fauci’s appearance on Capitol Hill, which saw him testify before the House select subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic.
Fauci on Capitol Hill
Fauci voluntarily chose to testify before the House on Monday morning to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic.
During this hearing, Fauci was questioned on a lot of different topics, all of which revolved around the COVID-19 pandemic. Fauci answered questions about the origins of the virus, as well as how he led the federal government in the U.S. to quickly respond to the outbreak.
Fauci’s Role in the Pandemic Response
One of the main reasons why Fauci’s appearance in front of the House select subcommittee was so essential is because of the main role the doctor had in the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fauci was one of the main leaders in creating the U.S.’s response to the virus outbreak. Since 2020, the COVID-19 virus has killed more than 1.2 million Americans.
A Contentious Hearing
Quite quickly, some aspects of this hearing became contentious during questioning.
Perhaps the most notable interaction the doctor had during this hearing came when Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene had a chance to question him.
Greene Blasts Fauci
Greene has long been a critic of Fauci and how he handled COVID-19, fueling many conspiracy theories in the process.
On Monday, Greene accused Fauci of not protecting Americans, insisting that he “belongs in prison” because he conducted “crimes against humanity” during his time trying to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Lack of Decorum
Many other House representatives stated that Greene wasn’t acting in accordance with House decorum. Throughout her questioning of Fauci, she repeatedly talked over him.
At one point, Greene even interrupted Fauci when he was going to answer. She cut him off and said, “Nah, I don’t need your answer.
Refusing To Call Fauci a Doctor
Throughout her period of time to talk with Fauci, Greene even refused to call him a doctor, addressing him as “Mr. Fauci” rather than “Dr. Fauci.” In response to why she was doing this, she said, “You’re not a doctor.”
This led to many House representatives calling Greene out during her time, with Democrat Representative Jamie Raskin even asking during her questioning whether she was respecting the rules of decorum in the House.
Greene Reprimanded by Republican Colleague
Raskin asked the committee’s chairman Republican Representative Brad Wenstrup, “Mr. Chairman, point of order, just in terms of the rules of decorum, are we allowed to deny that a doctor is a doctor just because we don’t want him to be a doctor?”
This led to Wenstrup telling Greene that she “should recognize the doctor as the doctor.”
Fauci Opens Up About Death Threats
During this hearing, Fauci also had the chance to open up about the death threats he has received since 2020, thanks to online conspiracies about his role in the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Fauci, he’s had to deal with many credible harassments and threats against his life for the past few years.
Fauci’s Family Has Been Affected by Threats
Democratic Representative Debbie Dingell asked Fauci about these threats, giving him the chance to explain what he’s been going through.
Fauci first explained that he’s received “everything from harassments by emails, texts, letters of myself, my wife, my three daughters.”
Credible Death Threats
However, Fauci also revealed that he’s had to deal with real, credible death threats from people who have wanted to do him harm — likely thanks to the many conspiracy theories that have found a home in some conservative, right-wing circles online.
He explained, “There have been credible death threats, leading to the arrests of two individuals…and credible death threats means someone who was clearly on their way to kill me. And it’s required my having protective services essentially all the time.”
Fauci Blames Greene for Threats
After the hearing, on CNN, Fauci even stated that he blames conservative Congress members like Greene for the death threats he now faces on a daily basis.
“Performances like that unusual performance by Marjorie Taylor Greene in today’s hearing… drive up the death threats because there are a segment of the population out there that believe that kind of nonsense,” he stated.
