In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, the 82-year-old responded to a question about the "extreme partisanship" that has led many Americans to believe he should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity.
"We’re living in a progressively anti-science era and that’s a very dangerous thing when you’re dealing with a very deadly pandemic that has already killed more than a million people in this country," Fauci explained.
The interviewer pointed out that although he is "among the most beloved doctors and scientists in the country," he is "also among the most reviled."
Fauci responded by saying that people merely didn't like his desire to make them follow "basic health principles" such as wearing masks and abiding by lockdown rules.
"For me personally, I don’t care," said Fauci, who has now officially retired from public service. "But I’m not OK with the country being so divisive that they threaten the life and the safety of people like me and my family merely because I’m telling people to get vaccinated, to wear a mask where appropriate, to avoid indoor settings, and to abide by public health principles. I mean, if that’s the reason why I’m hated by people, that’s a sorry state for the country."
With Republicans taking control of the House of Representatives in just over a week, incoming Oversight Committee chair Rep. James Comer (R-KY) recently announced the launch of an investigation into Fauci's involvement in the origins of the Chinese coronavirus in relation to his role in funding gain-of-function research.
“We will continue to follow the facts to determine what, if anything, could have been done differently to guard against the harms Americans have endured during the pandemic,” Comer said. “We will continue this oversight to hold U.S. government officials accountable for any wrongdoing and ensure Americans’ tax dollars aren’t being used on risky research at unsecured labs.”
