Why Fauci won’t fade as a political lightning rod after his retirement
Why Fauci won’t fade as a political lightning rod after his retirement Washington Examiner
Anthony Fauci may soon be gone, but he won’t be forgotten.
Fauci’s retirement at the end of the year is unlikely to mark the conclusion of his time as a political punching bag in the wake of his controversial response to the pandemic.
The top federal infectious diseases expert and public face of Washington’s attempts to curb COVID-19 is leaving town before Republicans win a majority in the House of Representatives, giving them control of committees with subpoena power.
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But Republican lawmakers are already signaling they will not relent in their efforts to investigate Fauci, asking him questions about the science behind his advice to two presidents on lockdowns and masking guidelines, as well as determining what he knew about the virus’ origins.
“Fauci’s resignation will not prevent a full-throated investigation into the origins of the pandemic,” tweeted Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), a leading Fauci critic. “He will be asked to testify under oath regarding any discussions he participated in concerning the lab leak.”
Republicans are still favored to win the House in November’s midterm elections. While the GOP is trailing in a number of key Senate races, that chamber is split 50-50 and could also flip control if Republicans make a net gain of just one seat.
Either way, Fauci’s retirement would take effect before the new Congress is sworn in — which may not be enough to prevent requests for appearances at hearings.
President Joe Biden was fulsome in his praise of Fauci, who remains a liberal icon. “Because of Dr. Fauci’s many contributions to public health, lives here in the United States and around the world have been saved,” he said in a statement issued by the White House. “As he leaves his position in the U.S. Government, I know the American people and the entire world will continue to benefit from Dr. Fauci’s expertise in whatever he does next.”
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Even Fauci’s critics might agree with this Biden line: “Whether you’ve met him personally or not, he has touched all Americans’ lives with his work.”
Biden paid tribute to Fauci, who is a sainted figure among Democrats. The president also relied heavily on Fauci to promote his own credibility on the pandemic, sending the doctor out to a celebratory press briefing in which Fauci repeatedly expressed what a relief it was to serve a White House that would not pressure him politically.
“The idea that you can get up here and talk about what you know, what the evidence, what the science is, and know that’s it — let the science speak — it is somewhat of a liberating feeling,” Fauci told reporters at the White House on Biden’s first full day in office.
But even under Biden, Fauci was gradually phased out as the top spokesman for COVID-19. Dr. Ashish Jha briefed reporters during Biden’s own infection.
Fauci and Biden disagreed about an in-person White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner earlier this year — Biden spoke at the event, but Fauci did not attend. The Biden administration has gradually lifted the COVID-19 restrictions associated with Fauci, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has conceded it needs to rework its communications strategy for public health concerns.
COVID-19 is one of the few policy areas where Biden’s job approval rating remains above water. But it is quickly receding as a matter of public concern, with just 1% of voters listing it as their top priority in a recent NBC News poll.
Turning the page on COVID-19 means watching Fauci shuffle off into retirement — something Republicans have little incentive to let Biden do.
It may be in the 2024 Republican primaries, which will effectively begin the day after the midterm elections are over, could be where Fauci’s memory proves most enduring.
Despite the liberal hosannas to Fauci’s half-century of public service, he truly emerged as a household name under former President Donald Trump.
It was Trump who originally highlighted Fauci as the voice of the federal COVID-19 response. He initially took most of his advice, even as he later began to balk at the economic shutdown.
This is Trump’s top vulnerability with Republican voters without much risk of backfiring, while appearing to side with Democrats on any of his scandals and legal controversies might.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is especially well positioned to position himself to Trump’s right on COVID-19. It won’t be the top concern in the Republican primary, but Fauci, face masks, and the lockdowns remain a major point of contention among GOP voters.
DeSantis or some other ambitious Republican could try to make Fauci Trump’s running mate.
