As Covid rates rise again across the US, Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) has joined the chorus of other far-right GOP lawmakers in criticizing Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Fauci, 80, is Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). He is one of the most well-respected public health officials in the world. For decades, he has led the fight against HIV and AIDS and in recent months has been at the forefront of the fight against Covid.
But to Cawthorn, he’s a “punk” who “lied to Congress” and needs to be arrested. Oh, and he also can’t throw a baseball.
Related: Madison Cawthorn schools colleagues on facts, gets most basic fact wrong
At a Senate committee hearing on Tuesday, Senator Rand Paul had a terse exchange with Fauci as he questioned him whether NIAID had provided research funding to a lab in Wuhan, China. Paul asked Fauci to retract a statement saying there had been no funding, but Fauci declined to do so.
Interviewed on Newsmax, Cawthorn, 25, who was elected last year and is currently the youngest member of Congress, made his views on Fauci clear.
“The reason you see Dr. Anthony Fauci dodging questions, although if he was to throw a baseball at one of these questions it wouldn’t have to move at all because the guy can’t throw a baseball to save his life,” Cawthorn joked.
“But the reason he dodges all these questions is I believe he is culpable and he actually bears some responsibility for what happened in the Wuhan lab.”
Fauci has destroyed countless small businesses, taken years of critical development away from America’s youth, and done it all in the name of personal wealth and fame.
He is a disgrace. https://t.co/Nn6fdikkPf
— Madison Cawthorn (@CawthornforNC) July 20, 2021
“It really makes me angry to say that he does not want to retract his statements because he did lie to the American people,” Cawthorn continued later. “He did lie to Congress, which is a crime.”
“And I’ll tell you, I normally have a great amount of respect for the people who work here on Capitol Hill, knowing that they, although we have different ideas on how to accomplish it, we are all trying to work for the betterment of the American people.
“But I will tell you right now, that is not the case with Anthony Fauci. He is a punk who is trying to further his own career, make himself wealthy and famous. But let me tell you, he deserves neither wealth nor fame because he has destroyed countless small businesses.”
He went on to blast Fauci as, “a pawn for the Chinese government.”
“He has taken years of development away from young children who are missing the best parts of their entire lives,” claimed Hawthorn.
“He has shackled entire states and destroyed their economies. All because of what? He wants to see his face on the news?”
Cawthorn’s comments come as concern grows about the spread of the Delta variant of Covid. In Los Angeles County, the Covid positivity rate has gone up from 0.7% a month ago to 5.2% this week.
Gregory Poland of the Mayo Clinic was blunt about the risk of the Delta variant when he spoke to CBS 4: “This is a very different variant. It will find you. This virus will find everybody who is not immune.”
Yesterday, President Biden said the CDC was due to advise that kids who haven’t been vaccinated should wear masks when they return to school in the fall.
Cawthorn’s comments about Fauci, particularly the accusation the health expert is out to further his career, received scorn on Twitter.
That’s the Republican playbook: accuse others of what they are guilty of.
— How in the WORLD (@HowintheWORLD3) July 20, 2021
Yes an 80 year old man is very concerned for his career…
— Maiden Everett (@MaidenEverett) July 21, 2021
Fauci could have retired a successful man a couple decades ago.
— Madman Moe’s Pressure Cooker (@barfing_noises) July 20, 2021
Lol, the dropout claiming the scientist is wrong. Can’t make this stuff up.
— Madison Cawthorn’s Chin (@MadCawChin) July 20, 2021
Hmmm, taking pot-shots at an 80-yo’s physical abilities… not a great look on you, Mr. Cawthorn.
— Michael Stone (@MikeStoneUSA) July 20, 2021
Said the D student college dropout who is trying to advance his own fame and grow his fortune to the detriment of #NC11 #cluelesscawthorn #backbencher #republicansagainstcawthorn
— Jonathan Yarbrough (@JWYarbrough) July 20, 2021
Please do something to help your dying constituents. The vaccination rate in the 11th is way too low. It will cost lives. Why on earth are you not out in the community posting about vax sites and praising the healthcare workers still being worked to the bone at Mission?
— RonMcKernan (@EricRiffe) July 21, 2021
You are an idiot. And you are deadly.
Grow up, stop the insanity, people are STILL DYING.
2022 is coming up fast….
— SCC Democratic Party (@SCCDP) July 21, 2021
Mirror, mirror on the wall. pic.twitter.com/Y9ZUyGAVN1
— Rob Jackson (@muh_thoughts) July 21, 2021
Related: Madison Cawthorn’s crappy week continues with announcement of 2022 challenger… who happens to be gay
Chrisk
Yeah, an 80 year old is trying to advance his own career by helping people stay healthy. What a dumbass douche.
ted
LOL, you’re 100% right!
He’s just another GOP lying out of his lying lie hole.
Toofie
Exactly. He’s 80, where’s he advancing to? The attempt to vilify Fauci is sad. It’s like the Republicans don’t care for their own constituents since they’re the ones now getting sick by avoiding vaccinations.
jcool
it’s obvious that if you’re a republican you don’t get to hang out with the cool kids unless you say mean things about dr fauci. and on wednesdays we wear pink.
LumpyPillows
Exactly my thought. Just how dumb is Madison? Just how dumb are his constituents?
ChrisGMN
What a little douche bag
Fahd
A very disrespectful young man – a terrible role model for other young people. I guess he’s learned from the guy that negative attention is better than no attention.
It’s important that holders of public office can’t just put stupid stuff out on Twitter without having to deal with the backlash.
The sad part is that someone like him apparently has a substantial constituency. What is wrong with education in the U.S.? – hell in a hand basket.
Man About Town
I thought I’ve heard everything; along comes an octogenarian “punk!” Unbelievable. Devoted more than 40 years to public health issues, but he’s “trying to advance his career.”
I’d hate to be a fly on the wall of this idiot’s inbox.
Max
LOL, Cawthorn is actually the one that’s the punk trying to advance his career.
henare
doesn’t he have to actually *have* a career first? he is, truly, a johnny-come-lately. unaccomplished. he just runs his mouth.
Cam
So the guy who worships Hitler to the point that he uses his title for him instead of his name wants to attack they guy who helped saved lives.
Then again, he’s a Republican so I’m not surprised.
The real Bruce
So correct Cam. I sure hope he gets beaten by the gay candidate whose running against him. What a “THORN” that would be!
Derek Northcutt
Even though the tongues of Queerty’s editors are hanging out 1/2-a-foot over this boy, to me he is a very ugly guy. And it’s news to me he is a D- student — Trump at least was a C- student at Penn (not Wharton, Penn).
ptn2719
Apparently he also thinks Biden’s door-to-door vaccination effort is a prelude to sending “them” to confiscate your guns and Bibles.
Sure, Jan…that’s what Biden wants to do…
wikidBSTN
This is why you don’t elect 25 year olds to Congress.
shva08
Apparently, the accident that left him partially paralyzed also resulted in brain damage.
Mister P
Dr. Fauci has dedicated his life to public health. His career does not need a boost at this point. Mad Cad has done nothing but try to make a name for himself through lies and deceptions.
Liquid Silver
Fauci’s about 300, so has no real remaining career to advance.
As far as physical ability, Cawthorn, he can walk better than you can. Shut it.
Mr. Stadnick
Some congressman I have never heard of is getting press bad mouthing an 80 year old doctor claiming Dr. Fauci is a liar and I am supposed to believe him? He is playing to the uneducated and frightened crowd. Rather than be helpful to the voters in his state he is grandstanding and making himself and his voters look idiotic. He should be ashamed and go back to his state and apologize for being such a huge disappointing douche bag!
Kangol2
What is wrong with the GOP and creeps like this Mad Caw? Fauci has been trying to save people’s lives for longer than Mad Caw has been on this earth! Trying to smear Fauci instead of owning up to the fact that Don the Con, his “task force,” the GOP in general, and its right-wing media enablers have unleashed death and illness on hundreds of thousands of Americans says everything about how morally and ethically bankrupt they are! Thousands of Americans are still getting sick every day because of the lies and misinformation pushed by Don the Con and the GOP!
gjg64
And the Hitler Youth grupenfuher has spoken.
spunkfunker
What a moron, I know he doesn’t look it but Fauci is 80 for goodness sake!! All of this republican performance theater is getting a little ridiculous. Makes me wanna try and conjure the ghost of Ike Turner and go on a slapping spree!
Lancealot
I hope I’m wrong but after recently hearing from Cawthorn, the cruise ship lady viral video, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, I’m starting to think people in wheelchairs are horrible human beings.
jcool
but they are blanche, they are
Heywood Jablowme
I look forward to seeing ALL of them on the Trumpanzees’ favorite TV show, “Dancing With The Stars”!
dali
Cawthorn might have been popular in gay pron, had he not lost de use of is…brain.
mateo
One MIGHT think that someone who’s in a wheelchair would at least have some measure of respect for people who are not only older than he is, but who are obviously more well-versed in certain areas (medicine, for instance). Having suffered and survived an accident would teach one that–in addition to, oh, I don’t know, empathy–as well as other noble qualities. At least, that’s what one might think. It’s obvious that this PUNK has learned nothing from his near-death encounter. Perhaps the worst thing he says here is that Fauci is a liar. Doctors and researchers have been learning from before Day 1 about this virus, and their opinions have changed over the course of these several months. (Remember how everyone was frantically wiping down surfaces at first? Then we were told that Covid was strictly airborne and that such wiping down wouldn’t be all that necessary.). But instead of dealing with these ever-changing instructions in a pragmatic fashion (the way most reasonable people do), Cawthorn and his ilk just say that doctors–especially Fauci–are lying. He is the most despicable piece of shit that could possibly be holding public office–along with Marjorie Taylor Green and Matt. Gaetz, that is. I sincerely hope that he loses miserably when it’s time for the next election in his district.
Jon in Canada
Cawthorn will not stand for intelligent people doing what’s right.
andrew.agee
Or stand in general
BoylesqueBubble
I wish he’d just go away! Such a useless and lying sack of feces he is! Yeah let’s call a scientist a “punk” (eye rolls) who knows what he’s talking about. So many people are alive from one pandemic thanks to Fauci and his work, and with this pandemic it is the same. So disgusting.
Mack
Well one thing for sure, no has ever proven a Republican was smart.
LumpyPillows
It is the republican strategy to lie and double down on the lie. It is to attack the character of anyone who has credibility. Their strategy is text book and it is brilliant in that even morons can carry it out; especially since it is targeted at the dumbest people out there; so dumb they will die out of spite to a preventable disease.
spunkfunker
Isn’t killing off your own voters a bad electoral strategy? LOL Maybe that explains their sudden shift in messaging about the vaccines.
Den
Let’s not forget that during his campaign his own parents called him out as a liar!
Let’s hope that his constituents (as MTG’s constituents supposedly are) are becoming angry that he is using his time in office to bitch and moan stupidly rather than to work on their behalf!
rbernard
Another wannabe, attention seeking republican voicing outrage about something they are unqualified to speak about.
Its a repeating pattern …
dirtypierre
Project much, douchebag.
hansniemeijer
The infamous GOP has a lot of bad actors. The first one I remember vividly was when aids arrived. The former movie “star” and president Ronald R.
Man About Town
OMG it’s getting worse: now he’s calling First Lady Jill Biden “cruel” because she’s apparently neglecting to notice her husband, the President, is “mentally ill.” I can’t keep up with this jackass!
Richard
Fauci is a pathological liar who stood in the way of real AIDS treatment pouring money into his self interest in AZT which killed millions, just as he has stood in the way of real Covid treatments like hydroxychloriquine or Ivermectin over his greedy holdings in Moderna while millions died. He is NOT your friend.
CNY1983
He can shit out of his mouth all he wants – no one is listening.