This post was originally published on this site
“ ‘Who would have thought when I was in medical school doing things to save people’s lives, I’d have to be going around with a security detail? I mean, that’s really ridiculous.’ ”
That’s Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the United States, talking about the result of recent criticism he’s faced from Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has called him “the chief buffoon of the professional class,” and a “total fraud,” among other things.
“I’m not concerned at what he says,” Fauci said of Carlson in a recent Instagram interview with the Washington Post. “I think you could say that when he does that, it triggers some of the crazies in society to start threatening me, actually threatening, which actually happens.”
For example, Carlson slams Fauci in this clip for taking his mask down to sip some water:
Federal officials recently determined that Fauci, as a key part of the White House coronavirus task force, should receive security detail after receiving threats over his guidance on the pandemic.
Fauci also commented on those showering him with praise, saying he doesn’t see himself as a hero, but he said the “really bizarre” part is all the negativity. “We live in an extraordinary society where public-health issues become so politicized and divisive that when you start talking about prudent things to do to preserve public health, that’s actually considered by some… hopefully a really small minority… as something worthy of threatening you,” he said.
Here’s the full video, with the Carlson comments coming in at around the 15-minute mark:
Meanwhile, the global number of coronavirus cases just topped 21 million, with the death toll approaching 800,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University. The U.S., with about 5.4 million cases, has accounted for the world’s highest number of infections.
