Republican senators Ted Cruz, of Texas, and Rand Paul, of Kentucky, are attacking Dr. Anthony Fauci after the infectious disease expert gave an in-depth interview in which he called out their “dangerous” attack on science.
During an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation” Fauci suggested that lawmakers like Paul and Cruz were targeting him to distract from scandals associated with the Trump administration, such as the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
“So it’s easy to criticize, but they’re really criticizing science because I represent science,” Fauci told host Margaret Brennan. “That’s dangerous. To me, that’s more dangerous than the slings and the arrows that get thrown at me. I’m not going to be around here forever, but science is going to be here forever. And if you damage science, you are doing something very detrimental to society long after I leave. And that’s what I worry about.”
During the interview, Fauci laughed off Sen. Ted Cruz’s suggestion that he should be prosecuted for his role in the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I have to laugh at that,” Fauci said. “I should be prosecuted? What happened on Jan. 6, Senator?” he asked.
Brennan then asked Fauci if Republicans are trying to make him a “scapegoat to deflect from President Trump.”
“Of course,” Fauci replied. “You’d have to be asleep not to figure that one out.”
Cruz fired back tweeting, “Fauci is an unelected technocrat who has distorted science and facts in order to exercise authoritarian control over millions of Americans. He lives in a liberal world where his smug ‘I REPRESENT science’ attitude is praised.”
Fauci is an unelected technocrat who has distorted science and facts in order to exercise authoritarian control over millions of Americans.
He lives in a liberal world where his smug “I REPRESENT science” attitude is praised.
Here are the facts:
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) November 28, 2021
Rand Paul also took issue with Fauci saying he represents science.
“The absolute hubris of someone claiming THEY represent science,” Paul wrote in a tweet sharing a video of the interview. “It’s astounding and alarming that a public health bureaucrat would even think to claim such a thing, especially one who has worked so hard to ignore the science of natural immunity.”
The absolute hubris of someone claiming THEY represent science. It’s astounding and alarming that a public health bureaucrat would even think to claim such a thing, especially one who has worked so hard to ignore the science of natural immunity. https://t.co/rcDezphVRR
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) November 28, 2021
