Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul went on a rant and leveled unsubstantiated claims at Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday for allegedly “fear-mongering.”
Paul said on Fox News’ “Cavuto: Coast to Coast” that Fauci made statements that weren’t “matched by the science of his own institute,” and went so far as to say Fauci “should be voluntarily removed from TV.” (RELATED: ‘Covid Conundrum’: NBC Reports That Fewer Cases In States With Less Restrictions Has ‘Experts Scratching Their Heads’)
Paul claimed that Fauci, contrary to the advice, said people still shouldn’t go out to a restaurant and eat even if they’ve been vaccinated. He added it was “ridiculous” and “against the science,” for Fauci to say that and might be “discouraging people” from getting the vaccine.
Fauci said Sunday on MSNBC and that it was “still not okay” for fully vaccinated people to go out to restaurants and eat indoors, citing “really disturbingly high” infection levels. Contrary to what Sen. Paul said, the CDC clarified on April 1 that it still has not been determined if those who have been fully vaccinated can transmit the virus. Their clarification followed the claim made by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky that “vaccinated people do not carry the virus — they don’t get sick.” The CDC also still advises Americans to wear masks indoors with others even if they have received vaccinations.
“People want a reward, rewards work, and your reward if you get the vaccine is you can live your life again, you’re not going to get it or transmit it to people, the likelihood is very, very small, and the risk is such that you could probably go back to living a normal life,” Paul continued. “So he needs to quit dictating to the entire world how to live and let us make our own decisions.”
“Almost everything out there is good news. This is why I so much think Dr. Fauci should be voluntarily removed from TV because what he says is such a disservice, and such fear-mongering and almost all of what he says isn’t even matched by the science of his own institute,” Paul claimed, before concluding that everyone has to judge their own risk factors when it comes to the vaccine.