Dr. Anthony Fauci on Friday responded to Elon Musk’s calls to prosecute the former chief White House medical advisor and his pledge to release the so-called “Fauci files.”
On New Year’s Day, the new CEO of Twitter teased the release of the so-called “Fauci files” in his latest attack on the former NIAID director, who has come under scrutiny for his restrictive policies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Musk promised at the time that the files would be released “later this week,” but nearly two weeks later has yet to dump any revelatory documents on Fauci.
Last month Musk tweeted, “My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci” — in a shot at both Fauci and at transgenders and their use of preferred pronouns. He did not elaborate on why he believes the doctor should be prosecuted.
In an appearance on Fox News’ “Your World,” host Neil Cavuto asked Fauci what he “made of the world’s richest man — or second richest now — going after you.”
“I have no idea what he’s talking about, Neil. I wish I did. I mean, I just — I’m clueless about what he’s referring to,” Fauci responded.
“He’s talking about — the Fauci files were supposed to come out last week. We’re now at the end of this week. I just don’t understand what he’s doing. And I don’t even think I should be addressing it, because it’s a bit puzzling to me,” he said.
Since Musk’s blockbuster $44 billion takeover of Twitter in October, the billionaire has provided journalists with internal documents known as “the Twitter Files” — a look into how the social media company’s previous management decided to censor content on the platform.
In December, Musk revealed that former employees of Twitter maintained a Slack channel titled “Fauci Fan Club.”
“What he’s saying is to prosecute Fauci,” Cavuto told the doctor, “that you were a little too cozy, working in cahoots with Twitter, the government, to provide a general response to all of this. But [Musk has] never released details of that. I don’t know if it’s forthcoming. But it is very similar to the kind of things Rand Paul has said about you in the United States Senate, some of these House Republican members have said you made a bad situation worse.”
Cavuto noted that any congressional hearings regarding the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which may be likely given the GOP’s new control of the House, “could drag on a long time.”
Fauci has previously said he’d “absolutely” cooperate with an investigation by House Republicans into the pandemic, which he reiterated to Cavuto.
“And what will be will be. Like I said, Neil, and I will repeat it again, I have a great deal of respect for the process of oversight. I have absolutely nothing to hide at all. I will be able to defend — defend everything that I have done.
“So a lot of people are spouting out a lot of things about me and Twitter. I don’t have a Twitter account. I have never had a Twitter account. I don’t intend on having a Twitter account. And I have had nothing to do with Twitter. So I don’t know what they’re talking about when they say that, Neil. I just don’t. I’m puzzled.”
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