Fact Check: Did Fetterman back GOP push to subpoena Dr Anthony Fauci over Covid cover-up claims?

WASHINGTON, DC: Amid allegations by a CIA whistleblower against Dr Anthony Fauci over an alleged Covid cover-up, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman said he would side with Republicans in support of a subpoena for Dr Fauci.

Let us analyze and fact-check the viral claim.

Claim: John Fetterman agrees to support Republicans' subpoena of Anthony Fauci

According to the viral post, Fetterman said he’s prepared to side with Republicans in support of a subpoena for Dr Anthony Fauci, arguing that lawmakers deserve answers the public still hasn’t received.

“My party keeps protecting him,” Fetterman allegedly said. “He already has his pardon, which means he can testify without hiding behind the Fifth Amendment. So why are they still trying to block it?”

The post further alleged that Republicans immediately praised the comments, while several Democrats avoided reporters in the Capitol hallways. The claim has spread on Facebook and X, garnering hundreds of thousands of views, with many believing it to be true, while a few others rejected it.

Fact Check: The claim originated as a satire

The claim, however, is false, as there is no evidence that John Fetterman agreed to side with Republicans in support of a subpoena for Dr Fauci. There are also no reports of Fetterman making the above comments or accusing his own party of protecting Dr Fauci.

A Google search for the claim yielded no credible reports from prominent news outlets about the rumor, which, if true, would likely have been widely covered.

The post also does not mention why Fauci is supposedly being subpoenaed.

Moreover, the post was accompanied by a photo of Fetterman and Fauci, with a small label in the bottom-right corner stating “satire.” The label also said, “Nothing on this page is real.” Hence, the claim was intended as parody for engagement purposes.

CIA whistleblower links Dr Anthony Fauci to lab leak debate

Fauci is a leading American infectious disease expert widely known for directing the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for several decades.

He also served as one of the most prominent public health advisers during the Covid-19 pandemic, guiding US responses on vaccines, masks, and other mitigation strategies.

Recently, the debate over the origins of the pandemic intensified after James Erdman, a 20-year veteran of the CIA, testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, alleging that Dr Fauci played a direct and “intentional” role in swaying the intelligence community away from the lab leak theory