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Dr Fauci takes down Rand Paul in coronavirus response hearing, Internet calls the Republican senator a ‘quack’

When Senator Paul claimed that New Yorkers had 'developed enough community immunity,' Fauci challenged him and said, 'You were not listening to what the director of the CDC said'

On Wednesday, September 23, the US witnessed quite a clash. Republican Senator Rand Paul was quote-unquote schooled by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, during Fauci's testimony in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. During the exchange, Fauci told the Republican lawmaker he’s “not listening.” 

Paul, who was a practicing ophthalmologist before he became senator, said that some states in the Northeast, specifically New York, allowed the coronavirus to spread unchecked before locking down, leading to widespread cases and death. “New York had the highest death rate in the world,” Paul said. “How can we possibly be jumping up and down and saying, 'Oh, Governor Cuomo did a great job!'"

Fauci, however, said that "No, you misconstrued that, senator. And you've done that repetitively,” adding that New York was hit badly as the virus was spreading silently before cases of severe disease erupted. The nation's top infectious disease specialist said, “They got hit very badly, they made some mistakes. Right now if you look at what’s going on right now, the things that are going on in New York to get their test positivity one percent or less is because they are looking at the guidelines that we have put together from the task force of the four or five things of masks, social distancing, outdoors more than indoors, avoiding crowds and washing hands.”

When Paul cut off Fauci, dismissing mitigation efforts, insisting that New Yorkers had "developed enough community immunity," Fauci challenged him and said, “You were not listening to what the director of the CDC said, that in New York, it's about 22 percent. If you believe 22 percent is herd immunity, I believe you're alone in that.” Fauci was referring to what Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said earlier in the hearing. He warned that more than 90 percent of the US population remained susceptible to the coronavirus. 

This exchange led to many on social media taking cracks at Paul. Several, referring to Paul’s ophthalmology experience, called him a “quack” -- a person who falsely pretends to have medical skills or knowledge. Author Amy Siskind wrote on Twitter, “Rand Paul is a damn quack and Fauci just exposed him as the national embarrassment he truly is.”

A Twitter user noted, “Rand Paul is an ophthalmologist. He is not an epidemiologist. He knows eyes, not pandemics. It sounds like he's pushing the herd immunity strategy, which will end up killing 2 to 6 million Americans. For an MD, that is incredibly irresponsible. He's a freaking quack!” Another Twitter user said, “Rand Paul is all ego and likes to hear his own voice, erroneous as it is. He is smug and comes off as nothing more than a power-hungry quack with nothing more than his faulty agenda to stand on. He is quicksand...bye Rand!!”

When Paul shared a video of the hearing, saying, “Watch the full video today where I take Dr. Fauci to task for lockdowns and his praise of Gov Cuomo whose state has the highest death rate,” he was met with even more criticism. One Twitter user wrote, “You sir should be ashamed. You are no physician and you shouldn't be able to call yourself a Senator. What you are is an irresponsible quack, who is partly responsible for many unnecessary deaths. Sit down and shut up you ignorant charlatan.”

Another Twitter user said, “That was the most incredible piece of claptrap I have ever heard. If Rand Paul really believes the half truths and flat out lies he just put on the record he needs to have his medical license suspended.”