Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday accused Sen. Rand Paul of putting his family in danger and attacking him for political gain, holding up a screenshot of the Kentucky Republican’s website that shows he is fundraising off their high-profile spat.
Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Mr. Paul’s comments distract from collaborative work on the pandemic and “kindles the crazies out there,” resulting in death threats and “obscene phone calls” to him and his family.
He cited reports of a person arrested in Iowa on his way from California who told police he was going to Washington to kill Dr. Fauci and prominent Democrats. Police found an AR-15 in the car.
“He thinks that maybe I’m killing people,” Dr. Fauci said of the man. “So I ask myself, why would the senator want to do this? Go to Rand Paul’s website and you see, ’Fire Dr. Fauci’ with a little box that says ‘contribute here.’ You can do 5 dollars, 10 dollars, 20 dollars, 100 dollars.”
Dr. Fauci came prepared with paper materials after Mr. Paul said Dr. Fauci argued over claims that the coronavirus was crafted in a Chinese lab in Wuhan.
The senator said the NIH doctor conspired to characterize the scientists who questioned the lab activities or heavy-handed societal restrictions during the pandemic as “fringe.”
“You think it’s a great success what’s happened so far? You think the lockdowns were good for our kids?” Mr. Paul said. “You think we’ve slowed down the death rate?”
Dr. Fauci said he tries to track the science and support sound guidance.
“Everything I’ve said has been in support of the CDC guidelines,” Dr. Fauci said. “Wear a mask, get boosted, get vaccinated.”
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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