Dr Anthony Fauci slammed as he labels Covid-19 lab leak 'conspiracy theory' contradicting previous claims

WASHINGTON, DC: Dr Anthony Fauci's new tell-all labeled the Covid-19 lab leak a "conspiracy theory" despite claiming the opposite during his congressional testimony.

The former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director, in his memoir 'On Call: A Doctor's Journey in Public Service,' recounted his 2021 congressional hearing debate with Republican Sen Rand Paul on the possibility of Covid-19 originating from a lab accident.

Earlier this month, Fauci testified before the House Oversight Committee that he has "kept an open mind" about the lab leak theory. However, Rep Jim Jordan later claimed that the infectious disease expert had lied to Congress, accusing him of sidelining a different point of view regarding the virus's origin.

Anthony Fauci's memoir says lab leak is a 'conspiracy theory'

"The smear campaign soon boiled over into conspiracy theories," the former White House chief medical adviser wrote, according to the New York Post. "One of the most appalling examples of this was the allegation, without a shred of evidence, that an NIAID grant to the EcoHealth Alliance (EHA) with a subgrant to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China funded research that caused the Covid pandemic."

"At a May 11 [2021] Senate HELP Committee hearing, Senator Rand Paul fed the conspiracy theory, which he amped up further at the subsequent HELP hearing on July 20," Fauci continued. "I was shocked and incensed by this totally inappropriate accusation."

He further claimed that Paul held him "personally responsible" for the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 that caused the pandemic and accused the former NIAID director of "trying to obscure responsibility for four million people dying around the world from a pandemic."

As per the book, the Kentucky lawmaker also said that all evidence pointed to the origin of the Covid-19 virus from a lab, and everyone, including Fauci, who funded the lab, would be held responsible.

However, Fauci's response to the accusation was omitted from the book. "Senator Paul, with all due respect, you are entirely, entirely and completely incorrect … the NIH [National Institutes of Health] has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research in the Wuhan Institute," the infectious disease expert said to the lawmaker.

Though Fauci stood firm on his stance in the subsequent congressional hearings, NIH principal deputy director Dr Lawrence Tabak testified to the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in June that US taxpayer funds were used for research on SARS viruses in bats at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

In addition, during a transcribed interview in January, Fauci stated that he had not described the lab leak theory as a "destructive conspiracy" but stated it was a "possibility."

"I think that in and of itself isn't inherently a conspiracy theory, but some people spin off things from that that are kind of crazy," he said at the time.

Internet slams Anthony Fauci for calling Covid-19 lab leak a 'conspiracy theory'

Netizens blamed the ex-NIAID director for contradicting his testimony and labeling the Covid-19 leab leak a "conspiracy theory' in the memoir.

An enraged user asked, "Isn’t he fully discredited at this point?" 

"Every single thing that comes out of his mouth is a lie and it is so blatant," another fumed.

A third user added, "Fauci is having trouble keeping his lies straight."

A fourth response read, "Fauci lies even when the facts are in full view and the lies are obvious. He has no shame, and he has no decency."

"Anthony Fauci is known for his lying. The man should be tried for crimes against humanity," another person said.

Someone else remarked, "If this was a normal citizen, he would be in jail by now."

An individual added, "It sounds like the source of conspiracy theories is Dr Faucci as he ignores the facts and attempts to re-write history via his bio which appears to be shrouded in fiction."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.