On the heels of disgraced Doctor Anthony Fauci’s announcement that he will be leaving his job as a government bureaucrat after forty years on the government dole, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow rewarded him with a fawning interview on her primetime show.
Maddow couldn’t contain herself. Maddow was so full of praise for Fauci that she didn’t even get to bring her on. “Dr. Anthony Fauci has been a unique figure both in American history as well as in American public services. There has never been anyone else like him, and there never will be again” Maddow proclaims.
To regain her calm, she went on a commercial break. Maddow was able to introduce Fauci when she returned home. “There are very few people who serve in government who, when you hear they’re going to write a book, you think, oh, good, I’ll probably learn something from that.”
Maddow, addressing Fauci added, “I feel like you’re an exception to my cynicism on that, in part just because it’s rare for one person to head up an important part of the government’s capabilities over such a long period of time, over so many different challenges, through so many different presidencies.”
When asked why we used to be better at handling the basics in how to deal with these challenges” in dealing with national or worldwide pandemics, Fauci went into damage control to protect his image noting that “the things that we thought we knew in the beginning turned out as the months went by to not be the case, which really forced us to adapt and to change some of our policies and recommendations.”
Fauci, perhaps in an attempt to avoid the accusations that he had spent COVID pandemic, lied to himself about everything from vaccines to mask-wearing. “that was interpreted by many as flip-flopping or not really knowing what’s going on when it really was the evolution of the science.”
There have been a lot of theories and conspiracy theories and accusations and more or less wild claims about the origins of COVID in particular,” Maddow wailed in her attempt at serving as Fauci’s publicist. “It seems like that’s when people on the political right really started getting their claws into you and targeting you personally during this pandemic,” Maddow insisted.
“What we’re dealing with now is just a distortion of reality,” He yelled at the other. Then he began to complain about everything. “conspiracy theories which don’t make any sense.”
Maddow continued by asking Fauci about it. “any insight into what we ought to do as a country to deal with” Fauci was subject to numerous threats Then, she proceeded with her sleuthing of conservatives by declaring that they think “anybody citing science or facts or objective reality or nuance is, by definition, the enemy.”
Fauci ended the segment with a tantrum in which he argued that people were being unfairly treated. “could look at January 6 on TV, and you have some people who actually don’t believe it happened. How could that possibly be?” Fauci said that Fauci had kvetched and added: “it’s now spilling over in denial about public health principles.”
Maddow thanked Fauci at the end of their interview “for a lifetime, so far of service.”
This softball interview with Tony Fauci was made possible by Olay, Prevagen & Sleep Number. You can contact them via the linked information to let them know what biased news they are funding.
To read the relevant transcript of this segment click “expand”:
MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show
August 22, 2022
Eastern, 9:21:37RACHEL MADOOW: When he announced that he was finally retiring, it is something to be admired.American history is filled with singular figures, like Dr. Anthony Fauci. He is the only person like him and it will never be another.
[…]
MADDOW Doctor Anthony Fauci today announced his retirement from public service after a long career. Although he says that he is looking forward to the next chapter in December, we do not yet know exactly what it will be.
[…]
MADDOW: Very few government employees are able to tell you that they will be writing a book.It’s not my fault for all of the officials I’ve met here over the years, and they were kind enough to let me talk about their different books.You are an exception to my cynicism about that. Partly because it is rare for one person in government to lead an important portion of its capabilities over such an extended period of time over many different challenges through many presidencies.
It is my pleasure to read your writings and to listen to all that you have. However, I was wondering if it would be possible to just give us a broad overview of your experience in dealing with public health, infectious disease and government. Do you think that our ability to handle these issues has been declining?
[…]
Dr. Anthony Fauci:Things we believed we understood in the beginning proved to be wrong as time went on. This forced us to adjust and change our recommendations and policies. Many interpreted this as flip-flopping, or not knowing the truth. It was actually the development of science.Therefore, I believe one of the most important lessons we can learn is to prepare, be adaptable, be willing to take on new challenges, and be ready to handle them.
[…]
MADDOW: Many theories, conspiracy theories, accusations and wild claims have been made about COVID’s origins. It appears that this was when political right started to target you in the midst of the pandemic.You’ve been sharply criticised before.The feeling is a bit different. The right is responsible for a strange and persistent, violent, continuous demonization you.
Just to get your point of view, I have to wonder if this kind of scrutiny, that criticism feels qualitatively differently to you than other criticisms, if they are coming from a different source, and if indeed it is more dangerous than any previous criticism.
FAUCI: Right. Rachel, It’s a remarkable difference. There is an apples-eelephants distinction. You are absolutely right. It was back in the days before HIV. You were able to show some clips that you had shown, which were accurate. The federal government’s actions were too restrictive and rigid in a disease like HIV that required a lot of input and flexibility from the community. You were showing clips about AIDS activists.
You could see that they understood what you were asking and were correct. They opened my eyes and made me an AIDS activist. We learned from them, and realized that our regulatory and clinical trials approach was too rigid. Based on these lessons, the FDA updated their approach.
Rachel, what we are dealing with is a distortion in reality. It’s conspiracy theories, Rachel. They push back against solid public health measures. This makes it seem like saving lives is an invasion of freedom.It’s a significant difference to the AIDS activists. They had a strong foundation and were able to make objections.
MADDOW: Are you able to give us some insight on what to do?It’s just that I feel it’s part and parcel of the political right. You want to separate politics from reality. The ruler’s truth is the true measure of truth. Anyone who cites science, facts, objective reality, or nuance as evidence is by definition the enemy.
This is because I believe it has some connection to politics. However, even though these observations don’t always give you the solution, they can help you fight it. Do you think that being the victim of such a specific and different attack can give you insight as to what should be done to help public officials, like yourself, to make this country more rational?
FAUCI : Rachel, you know Rachel, that I wish I could give you a positive and constructive answer, but I can’t. We are both talking right now about public health. We see that there is more to public health than just public health.
This is a distortion of reality. Untruths are almost normalized in a world that allows us to see and denial it is happening. That’s our environment. If you look at January 6, there are some people that don’t believe this happened. It’s hard to believe that this could be possible. It’s slowly spreading to denial of public health principles.
So while I would love to have an answer, it’s not possible. As I have always been, I am cautiously optimistic. I believe we can extract the best out of people. There are also the possibilities that the society’s better angels will prevail. It’s very concerning to me that there is a distortion of reality. I do not have the answer right now. It is certainly interfering in the correct approach to public health challenges.
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