{"id":493317,"date":"2021-05-10T17:20:53","date_gmt":"2021-05-10T21:20:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=493317"},"modified":"2021-05-10T17:20:55","modified_gmt":"2021-05-10T21:20:55","slug":"counting-down-dr-faucis-5-biggest-covid-flip-flops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/counting-down-dr-faucis-5-biggest-covid-flip-flops\/","title":{"rendered":"Counting Down Dr. Fauci\u2019s 5 Biggest COVID Flip-Flops"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcounting-down-dr-faucis-5-biggest-covid-flip-flops%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=493317&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/GettyImages-1312337025.jpg?w=1200&#038;h=800&#038;ixlib=react-9.0.3\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\"  style=\"display:none\"><\/div>\n<p>National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has been one of the leading government voices throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Early on in the pandemic, Dr. Fauci frequently appeared at the White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefings alongside President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and Task Force Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx. He offered Americans insight on what they could do to protect themselves, their loved ones, and help slow the spread of the virus.<\/p>\n<p>But over the last 14 months, Dr. Fauci has repeatedly flip-flopped on vital pandemic-related advice. These are six of his worst offenses.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Dr. Fauci was against banning travel from China. Now he credits the move for protecting Americans.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In mid-January 2020, Dr. Fauci \u2014 along with other health experts \u2014 reportedly opposed President Donald Trump\u2019s desire to restrict travel from China, where the virus originated. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/04\/11\/us\/politics\/coronavirus-trump-response.html\">The New York Times<\/a>, Fauci \u201chad argued that such travel limits only delay the eventual spread.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fauci later admitted in front of Congress that the travel restrictions from China, Europe, and the UK saved American lives, as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/fauci-trump-travel-restrictions-saved-lives-coronavirus\">Fox News<\/a> reported in July 2020:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"15\">\n<p><em>\u201cDo you agree with that decision?\u201d asked [Congressman Steve] Scalise.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cI do,\u201d Fauci responded.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cDo you think that decision saved lives, Dr. Fauci?\u201d Scalise asked.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cYes, I do,\u201d the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases answered.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Dr. Fauci later testified that he was \u201cactively involved\u201d in the Trump administration\u2019s move to restrict air travel from Europe to the United States.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. First, masks were unnecessary. Then, they became a must.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When the pandemic began in March of 2020, Dr. Fauci advised <em>against<\/em> the general public\u2019s use of masks, saying they might make Americans \u201cfeel a little bit better,\u201d but they don\u2019t necessarily protect anyone from COVID. In fact, Dr. Fauci said mask-wearing could have \u201cunintended consequences,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/watch-fauci-in-march-masks-make-you-feel-a-little-bit-better-but-unnecessary-for-general-population-warns-of-unintended-consequences\">The Daily Wire<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRight now, in the United States, people should not be walking around with masks,\u201d Fauci explained. \u201cThere\u2019s no reason to be walking around with a mask when you\u2019re in the middle of an outbreak.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWearing a mask might make people feel a little bit better and it might even block a droplet, but it\u2019s not providing the perfect protection that people think that it is. And often, there are unintended consequences; people keep fiddling with the mask and they keep touching their face,\u201d Dr. Fauci said. \u201cWhen you think mask, you should think of health care providers needing them and people who are ill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Part of the reason he advised against the widespread use of masks is because it could lead to a shortage of masks for the \u201cpeople who really need it,\u201d Fauci later said, referring to medical professionals.<\/p>\n<p>At the beginning of April 2020, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) <span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/watch-fauci-in-march-masks-make-you-feel-a-little-bit-better-but-unnecessary-for-general-population-warns-of-unintended-consequences\">advised the general public<\/a> to wear face coverings while out in public. In May of 2020, Dr. Fauci said he <\/span><span>began wearing a mask for \u201cprotection\u201d against the virus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI want to protect myself and protect others, and also because I want to make it be a symbol for people to see that that\u2019s the kind of thing you should be doing,\u201d the NIAID head explained during an interview with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/05\/27\/politics\/fauci-coronavirus-wear-masks-cnntv\/index.html\">CNN.\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Dr. Fauci admitted at the time masks are not \u201c100% effective\u201d but it shows \u201crespect for another person.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Current CDC <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/prevent-getting-sick\/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html\">guidance<\/a> on masks states that \u201cA mask is NOT a substitute for\u00a0social distancing. Masks should still be worn in addition to staying at least 6 feet apart, especially when indoors around people who don\u2019t live in your household,\u201d adding that \u201cMasks may not be necessary when you are outside by yourself away from others, or with people who live in your household. However, some areas may have mask mandates while out in public, so please check the rules in your local area (such as in your city, county, or state). Additionally, check whether any federal mask mandates apply to where you will be going.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. One mask is no longer the status quo.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Fast forward to January 2021 and Dr. Fauci doesn\u2019t want Americans to wear\u00a0<em>just\u00a0<\/em>one mask. He wants them to \u201cdouble-mask.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you have a physical covering with one layer, you put another layer on, it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective,\u201d Fauci said, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/double-up-dr-fauci-again-changes-mask-wearing-recommendation\">The Daily Wire.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>In February 2021, Dr. Fauci said Americans would have to continue wearing masks until the virus is \u201cnot a threat at all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we can get \u2014 and I have used this as an estimate, it\u2019s not definitive \u2014 but if we can get 70 to 85 percent of the population vaccinated, and get to what we would hope would be to a degree of herd immunity, which really is an umbrella or a veil of protection against the community, where the level of virus is so low it\u2019s not a threat at all, then at that point, you can start thinking in terms of not having to have uniform wearing of masks,\u201d Fauci told Fox News\u2019 Brett Baier, according to a report from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/fauci-says-mask-wearing-must-continue-until-virus-not-a-threat-at-all-likely-into-late-2021\">The Daily Wire.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf everything falls into the right place and we get this under control, it is conceivable that you might be able to pull back a bit on some of the public health measures as we get into the late fall of this year,\u201d he said. \u201cBut there\u2019s no guarantee of that, because if we don\u2019t get the overwhelming majority of the population vaccinated, there\u2019s still going be a considerable amount of virus in the community, and as long as that\u2019s the case, people are going to have to wear masks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Last month, Congressman Jim Jordan pressed Dr. Fauci on definitive numbers \u2014 either vaccination rates or caseloads \u2014 that the nation would have to reach in order to go back to \u201cnormal.\u201d As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/jim-jordan-slams-dr-fauci-15-days-to-slow-the-spread-turned-into-one-year-of-lost-liberty\">The Daily Wire<\/a> reported, Fauci couldn\u2019t provide a definitive answer.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. But, according to Fauci, masks might not go away with COVID.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Now the NIAID head is saying mask-wearing is something that could become quite common, especially during flu season, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/dr-fauci-says-mask-wearing-may-become-a-seasonal-norm\">The Daily Wire<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople have gotten used to wearing masks. Clearly, if you look at the data, [a mask] diminishes respiratory diseases,\u201d Fauci explained to NBC News\u2019 Chuck Todd. \u201cWe\u2019ve had practically a non-existent flu season this year merely because people were doing the kinds of public health things that were directed predominantly against COVID-19.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo it is conceivable that as we go on, a year or two or more from now, that during certain seasonal periods when you have respiratory-borne viruses like the flu, people might actually elect to wear masks to diminish the likelihood that you\u2019ll spread these respiratory-borne diseases,\u201d the infectious disease doctor said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Dr. Fauci was skeptical about Operation Warp Speed. Now he\u2019s taking credit for COVID vaccine development.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One of President Donald Trump\u2019s ultimate goals when the COVID-19 pandemic began, was to create a vaccine in record-breaking time. That\u2019s how Operation Warp Speed, a public-private partnership, was developed.<\/p>\n<p>Although Trump appeared positive that the medical community could research, develop, manufacture, and distribute a COVID vaccine in record time, Dr. Fauci wasn\u2019t as optimistic.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/flashback-dr-fauci-discouraged-idea-of-fast-covid-19-vaccine-development-hes-now-taking-credit-for\">The Daily Wire<\/a>, Fauci said in March 2020 that \u201cIt will take at least a year to a year and a half to have a vaccine we can use.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When the first doses of the vaccine began to roll out in December 2020, Dr. Fauci criticized the number of doses that were made available.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe would\u2019ve liked to have seen it run smoothly and have 20 million doses into people today, by the end of the (year) 2020, which was the projection. Obviously, it didn\u2019t happen and that\u2019s disappointing,\u201d Fauci said on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.today.com\/video\/dr-fauci-we-have-to-support-local-groups-distributing-covid-19-vaccine-98637893660\">\u201cTODAY\u201d show.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>In a CNN special, \u201cCOVID WAR: The Pandemic Doctors Speak Out,\u201d Fauci took the majority of the credit for Operation Warp Speed\u2019s success.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I saw what happened in New York City, almost overrunning of our health care systems, and that\u2019s when it became very clear that the decision we made on January 10 to go all-out and develop a vaccine, may have been the best decision that I\u2019ve ever made with regard to intervention as the director of the institute,\u201d the NIAID head said, according to a report from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/best-decision-dr-fauci-takes-credit-for-covid-19-vaccines\">The Daily Wire.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>CNN\u2019s narration of Operation Warp Speed also failed to provide President Trump and Operation Warp Speed with credit for the vaccine\u2019s record-breaking development.<\/p>\n<p>President Trump took issue with Fauci\u2019s interview, saying the NIAID head \u201ctried to take credit for the vaccine, when in fact he said it would take three to five years, and probably longer, to have it approved.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDr. Fauci was incapable of pressing the FDA to move it through faster. I was the one to get it done, and even the fake news media knows and reports this,\u201d Trump said in a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/trump-unloads-on-fauci-after-fauci-claims-credit-for-developing-vaccine-in-record-time\"> statement<\/a> following the CNN special. \u201cDr. Fauci is also the king of \u2018flip-flops\u2019 and moving the goalposts to make himself look as good as possible. He fought me so hard because he wanted to keep our country open to countries like China. I closed it against his strong recommendation, which saved many lives. Dr. Fauci also said we didn\u2019t need to wear masks, then a few months later he said we needed to wear masks, and now, two or three of them. Fauci spent U.S. money on the Wuhan lab in China\u2014and we now know how that worked out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The NIAID head is now encouraging young, healthy people to receive the vaccine he was skeptical would exist at this point in time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re worried about yourself getting infected and [the] likelihood that you\u2019re not gonna get any symptoms, but you can get infected and will get infected if you put yourself at risk, and even if you don\u2019t have any symptoms, you\u2019re propagating the outbreak because it is likely that you \u2014 even if you have no symptoms \u2014 that you may inadvertently and innocently then infect someone else who might infect someone who really could have a problem with a severe outcome,\u201d Fauci told NBC\u2019s Savannah Guthrie a few weeks ago.<\/p>\n<p><i>Beth Baumann is a Political Reporter and Editor at The Daily Wire. Follow her on Twitter\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/eb454\"><i>@eb454<\/i><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><i>The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author\u2019s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><i>member<\/i><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has been one of the leading government voices throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Early on in the pandemic, Dr. &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2277721,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/GettyImages-1312337025.jpg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"Counting Down Dr. Fauci\u2019s 5 Biggest COVID Flip-Flops","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-493317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/GettyImages-1312337025.jpg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"Counting Down Dr. Fauci\u2019s 5 Biggest COVID Flip-Flops","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=493317"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493317\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2277721"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=493317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=493317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=493317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}