President-elect Donald Trump’s victory is spurring right-wingers to renew calls to prosecute Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Fauci, an immunologist who served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for nearly four decades, has long been a regular target of COVID-19 conspiracists and right-wingers unhappy with the government’s response to the pandemic.
His critics have accused Fauci of intentionally covering up COVID’s origins and lying to Congress. Fauci’s allies denounced the accusations as nothing more than a smear campaign.
Now, with Republicans taking back the White House and Senate, and on track to maintain a narrow majority in the House, Fauci’s fiercest critics are again renewing their calls for the doctor’s prosecution.
“Fauci should get the best security ever… while behind bars in a supermax prison,” quipped one right-winger on Tuesday.
“Dr. Fauci MUST BE PROSECUTED for GENOCIDE,” ranted someone else.
Also backing the calls are Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Elon Musk, the latter of whom was tapped by Trump to lead the new “Department of Government Efficiency.”
“My pronouns are still prosecute/Fauci,” Musk posted Tuesday.
Greene then responded: “I agree! I told Dr. Fauci to his face that he should be in jail and prosecuted for crimes against humanity. Well, we might finally get the chance…”
The pair’s posts drew immediate praise from right-wing supporters on board with the idea.
“Fauci needs to spend life in prison. As does Biden, Harris, and Mayorkas,” replied one right-wing influencer, citing the Homeland Security Secretary as well.
“We have been waiting years for this,” responded someone else.
“Prosecute Fauci should be trending by now,” remarked another person.
It’s not the first time Musk and Greene have backed each other in coming after Fauci.
In 2022, the pair had a nearly identical exchange.
“My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci,” Musk quipped at the time.
“I affirm your pronouns Elon,” Greene wrote back.
Musk previously dubbed Fauci a “demon” for funding gain-of-function research in Wuhan.
According to the Intercept, the grant money in question came with stipulations it would not be used for gain-of-function research purposes, though that went unheeded. It is unclear if Fauci was aware of the work.
Nonetheless, scientists told the Intercept that the research was not responsible for the pandemic.
Musk’s targeting of Fauci over the past couple years has drawn outrage from Democratic lawmakers, such as Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who characterized the quip as part of Musk’s “seemingly endless quest for attention.”
Concluded Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.): “Elon Musk wants to criminalize Anthony Fauci because he disagrees with him. Elon is no champion of free speech.”
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