Ally or Adversary? Perspectives on Dr. Anthony Fauci
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Two years into America's bout with COVID-19, White House coronavirus adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci remains one of the pandemic's most divisive figures.
Fauci has led the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984. He was named to the initial coronavirus task force in January 2020 and was named the Biden administration's top COVID-19 adviser in December 2020. Public opinion polls from earlier in the pandemic indicated widespread support for Fauci, but more recent polls suggest that support has waned. Fauci has been the face and voice of much of the government's COVID-19 messaging since early 2020, and at times has come under fire from Republican lawmakers and others over the origins of COVID-19, the U.S. role in controversial gain-of-function virus experiments in China and the effectiveness of federal pandemic policies and guidelines.
Criticism of Fauci from right-rated voices has grown stronger throughout the pandemic, with many accusing him of contradictory and confusing COVID-19 guidance that has undermined trust in the government's pandemic response. Some allege that he covered up and contributed to controversial virus work in China that purportedly led to the pandemic. Left-rated voices have generally been more supportive of Fauci and tend to analyze motivations behind criticisms of him, with some accusing conservatives of using him as a political scapegoat and lightning rod. Fauci's financial disclosures have also been covered recently across the spectrum.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
The real reason the right hates Anthony FauciTwo years into the coronavirus pandemic, the American right is still consumed with hatred for White House adviser Anthony S. Fauci. So much so that not only do they scheme to destroy Fauci, the longtime head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, but their obsession sometimes devolves into violent fantasies.
Speaking at a conference of the right-wing “youth” organization Turning Point USA, Fox News host Jesse Watters instructed the assembled activists on how they should track down and confront Fauci, to create a viral moment that Fox could then use to...
From the Center
Anthony Fauci Has Had EnoughDr. Anthony Fauci appears to have lost patience with his critics in recent weeks, reacting angrily to criticism of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and suggestions that he has not been honest in his dealings with Congress.
Fauci, who is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), had angry exchanges with senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) at a hearing of the Senate Health Committee on Tuesday and was heard on a hot mic calling Marshall a "moron."
On December 21, 2021, Fauci called for the firing of Fox News host Jesse Watters following...
From the Right
Fauci Must GoPresident Joe Biden should relieve Dr. Anthony Fauci of his duties at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, as chief medical adviser to the White House, and as the public face of the American government’s response to Covid-19.
It is past time for public-health policy to shift to acknowledging that Covid-19 is an endemic disease and, for the most part, a risk for individuals to manage. Fauci stands in the way of executing that shift and communicating it to the public.
Fauci’s own behavior has undermined public trust in the response to...
AllSides Picks
May 7th, 2024
May 7th, 2024
May 7th, 2024