The GOP’s public lashing of Dr. Anthony Fauci on Capitol Hill Monday has spectacularly backfired. Instead of solidifying their case against the infectious disease expert, the hearing inadvertently shone a glaring spotlight on the failures and controversial decisions made during Donald Trump’s administration.
Dr. Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has long been a target of Republican ire. However, the hearing underscored the Trump administration’s significant role in shaping the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the introduction of lockdowns—a measure that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an insurgent independent candidate, has criticized Trump for “inventing.”
Kennedy’s campaign has effectively capitalized on the discontent with Trump’s pandemic policies, launching merchandise that ties Trump and Fauci together with slogans like “Vote for Trump/Fauci 2024.” This tactic highlights the uncomfortable truth for Trump: Fauci, often vilified by the GOP, was a key figure in Trump’s own COVID-19 task force.
Despite Trump’s recent attempts to downplay Fauci’s influence, claiming in a far-right podcast interview that Fauci “wasn’t a big player in my administration,” the facts tell a different story. It was under Trump’s directive that lockdowns were implemented, and Fauci was one of the leading health experts navigating the public through these tumultuous decisions.
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During the hearing, Republicans grilled Fauci intensely without mentioning Trump. However, this strategy failed as it inadvertently drew attention to the broader context: the pandemic response was orchestrated during Trump’s administration, and many of the criticized policies were initiated under his leadership.
The hearing also exposed Trump’s reluctance to take decisive action against Fauci, citing legal protections for federal workers as the reason he couldn’t fire him. This has done little to appease Trump supporters like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who dramatically declared that Fauci “belongs in prison” for his role in the pandemic response. Such extreme sentiments, echoed by Trump allies, emphasize the GOP’s broader frustration with the pandemic strategy devised under Trump.
Kennedy has leveraged these frustrations, questioning why Fauci isn’t in jail and suggesting it’s because “Joe Biden is president.” This critique implicitly points to Trump’s inability to remove Fauci despite having the power to do so during his presidency.
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida also used Fauci to attack Trump during the GOP primary, noting that Trump gave Fauci a commendation on his last day in office. Although DeSantis’ efforts didn’t significantly impact Trump’s support, Kennedy’s independent bid is gaining traction by focusing on Trump’s pandemic policies, including the contentious lockdowns and vaccine promotion.
Polling indicates growing support for Kennedy among Republicans disillusioned with Trump’s pandemic decisions. David Robertson, a former Trump supporter, switched allegiance to Kennedy after feeling misled by Trump’s handling of COVID-19, particularly regarding the lockdowns.
In response to this rising threat, Trump has ramped up his attacks on Kennedy, labeling him an “extreme liberal” and a “fake anti-vaxxer.” However, Trump’s attempt to distance himself from the vaccine and lockdown policies he once championed has only highlighted the contradictions in his pandemic response.
Ultimately, the GOP’s attempt to scrutinize Fauci has blown up in their faces by drawing more attention to the Trump administration’s mishandling of the pandemic. The hearing has underscored that many of the controversial decisions, including lockdowns and vaccine policies, originated from Trump’s directives. As Republicans try to score political points ahead of the November election, their focus on Fauci only serves to highlight the broader failures of Trump’s term in office.
