Despite the passage of time, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci remains a controversial individual in the American political landscape. In the past, Fauci has been both revered and reviled for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Now, it appears public opinion of the infectious disease expert is waning.
It has been a tough year for Fauci, who can’t seem to shake the perception that he made things worse rather than better during the height of the epidemic. And perhaps there are good reasons for this. In June, the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic grilled Fauci, who questioned the lab leak theory, the use of masks, and the proliferation of the 6-foot distancing mandate. His testimony, often petulant and peevish, did not sit well with the committee, which hammered him about a tranche of emails.
A feisty Fauci showed up at the hearing and gave as much as he took with a combative and defensive tone that pecked away at Republicans, saying he was the target of “vitriolic ad hominem [attacks] and a distortion of facts, quite frankly.” Likely not coincidentally, the former government official tried to right the public perception ship by penning a memoir, On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service, which was published the very same month he was summoned to testify before the House. Now that all the histrionics are over, where does Fauci stand in the public eye?
Begging Your Pardon, Anthony Fauci
A new poll conducted by the Napolitan News Service comes on the heels of speculation that President Biden may be mulling over a pardon in advance for some government officials – Anthony Fauci included. According to the survey, just 29% of those polled “favor pardons for Biden Administration officials in general.”
The Napolitan News survey found 52% of voters believe that Congress should investigate Dr. Fauci’s role in the pandemic. Only 32% say he deserves to be pardoned. Public perception of the doctor fell along party lines, with 57% of Democrats saying he should be pardoned, but only 14% of Republicans and 21% of independents said so.
“Fauci is currently viewed favorably by 40% of voters and unfavorably by 44%. That's down from 46% favorable and 41% unfavorable in May. The current totals include 20% with a Very Favorable opinion and 23% with a Very Unfavorable view,” according to Napolitan News.
Pollster and digital-polling entrepreneur Scott Rasmussen told Liberty Nation News:
“From the very beginning of the pandemic, Dr. Fauci has been a polarizing political figure. Voters still have many questions about the lockdowns, school closings, and other pandemic policies. There has never been any serious review of what went wrong. So, it's not a surprise that most voters think Fauci's role should be investigated by Congress.”
Assessing Dr. Anthony Fauci’s performance as America’s point man during the pandemic will likely be the subject of controversy for years to come. In the meantime, will his image continue to degrade in the public eye? That will largely depend upon further investigation of what caused a worldwide pandemic and whether his advice and recommendations when leading the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases helped or hurt the American people in their time of need.
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