Rep. Liz Cheney pushed back on the notion that Dr. Anthony Fauci is a partisan actor somehow working against President Trump.
Fauci, who has been the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases under six presidents, has been criticized for his performance throughout the coronavirus pandemic for expressing caution at reopening too early. Trump and the White House both had to clarify their support for Fauci in mid-April after the president retweeted a post with #FireFauci in the text, a hashtag used by many of the doctor’s critics.
In a tweet posted Tuesday night, Cheney, who is the third highest-ranking Republican in the House, lauded Fauci and condemned those criticizing him.
“Dr. Fauci is one of the finest public servants we have ever had. He is not a partisan. His only interest is saving lives,” Cheney wrote. “We need his expertise and his judgment to defeat this virus.”
“All Americans should be thanking him. Every day,” she added.
Dr. Fauci is one of the finest public servants we have ever had. He is not a partisan. His only interest is saving lives. We need his expertise and his judgment to defeat this virus. All Americans should be thanking him. Every day.
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) May 13, 2020
Fauci testified on Tuesday before the Senate, where he said that prematurely reopening the country could lead to “needless suffering and death.” His hearing included a contentious exchange with GOP Sen. Rand Paul, who argued Fauci isn’t the “end-all” on when economies can reopen.
