This week, former decadeslong director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and professional human manifestation of “the science,” Anthony Fauci, was grilled on COVID-19.
A Republican-led House select subcommittee hearing on the coronavirus pandemic, headed by Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), took place behind closed doors. It was billed as an attempt to focus on issues like the origins of COVID-19, vaccines, and the infamous mask mandates.
In a statement late last year, Wenstrup announced that “it is time for Dr. Fauci to confront the facts and address the numerous controversies that have arisen during and after the pandemic” and that “Americans deserve trusted public health leaders who prioritize the well-being of our people over any personal or political goals.”
Now, it’s true that Fauci, as Wenstrup put it, “was the face of America’s public health response during the COVID-19 pandemic.” It’s also true that with Fauci at the helm, the United States federal government, along with state and local leaders, unleashed generational and completely voluntary suffering on the nation across all areas of life. And it’s also true that Fauci and his accomplices manipulated the levers of power for years in order to cement their role as unaccountable titans of policy.
But make no mistake: while Fauci is undeniably to blame for so much, he is also being presented as a convenient scapegoat to hide the truth.
Who happily opened the door for Fauci? Who stood alongside Fauci and watched him impose policy? Who awarded a presidential commendation to Fauci “in recognition of [his] exceptional efforts on Operation Warp Speed?”
Former President Donald Trump.
And that’s not to say that politicians can’t make mistakes and admit to those mistakes while speaking clearly on what variables may have changed along the way. For example, many conservatives, myself included, were more supportive of mask advisories in the early days of the pandemic when information was scarce. But the key responsibility of any elected official, especially the nation’s commander in chief, is to make decisions in real-time based on all available information.
When information changes, decisions should change too.
But that’s not what happened. Yes, because of Fauci. But, therefore, because of Trump too.
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COVID-19 policy should be the defining issue of this political generation, standing as the ultimate litmus test for who is qualified to represent the country. Instead, Trump and many of his supporters are trying to walk two lines at once: holding Fauci accountable for his undeniable failures and refusing to hold Trump accountable for enabling every single one of these undeniable failures.
Fauci was the madman at the wheel, driving the country off a cliff. But Trump was the man who refused to drive and instead handed Fauci the keys.
Ian Haworth is a columnist, speaker, and host of Off Limits. You can follow him on X at @ighaworth. You can also find him on Substack.