During a contentious hearing examining the US COVID response, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene launched into a fiery tirade criticizing Rep. Jamie Raskin and Dr. Anthony Fauci.
She accused Democrats of “worshiping” George Floyd while attacking lockdowns, mandates, and suicides tied to the pandemic response.
“We have Jamie Raskin in there accusing us of worshiping Trump, worshiping a convicted felon… so is George Floyd! Everybody and you all too, the media, worship George Floyd,” Greene said. “Democrats worship George Floyd. There were riots burning down the [expletive] country over George Floyd and Raskin is in there saying we worship him.”
“I don’t worship, I worship God. God and Jesus is my Savior. I don’t worship President Trump and I’m really sick and tired of the [expletive] antics I have to deal with constantly from the Democrats,” she said.
Arguing Fauci “belongs in prison” for “crimes against humanity,” Greene cited reports Fauci and NIH scientists financially benefited from royalty payments from drug companies involved in COVID treatments.
“The Democrats don’t have anything,” she said. “They’re responsible for the lockdowns, forced vaccinations, kids being forced to stay home, people committing suicide, and all the horrors that this country lived through during COVID. Fauci belongs in prison, he should be tried for mass murder, and he should be tried for crimes against humanity. That’s how I feel after that hearing. That’s how the American people feel.”
“That man does not deserve to have a license. As a matter of fact, it should be revoked and he belongs in prison,” Greene said.
“NIH scientists made $710 million in royalties from drug makers. A fact that’s been hidden. Is it right for scientists and doctors getting paid by the American people, government taxpayer paychecks to get patents where they’re paid millions and hundreds of millions of dollars in royalty fees?” Greene said.
In an intense back-and-forth with Fauci, she questioned if this was appropriate use of taxpayer funds and stripped him of his honors in a show of distrust.
Fauci maintained the scientific integrity of guidance measures, while the House investigates the preparedness and response efforts over the roles of figures like Fauci.
“Do you think that’s appropriate? Do the American people deserve to be abused like that? Mr. Fauci? Cause you’re not Doctor, you’re Mr. Fauci.”
“It actually came from the CDC. The CDC was responsible for those kinds of guidelines to schools, not me,” Fauci said. Although Fauci touted this guidance throughout the pandemic, he once remarked that it lacked scientific backing, clarifying that this meant it was not supported by clinical trials.
“It had little to do with me since I didn’t make the recommendation and my saying ‘there was no science behind it’ meant there was no clinical trial behind that,” Fauci added.
“I think one of the things that was really a problem with the response was the degree of divisiveness that we had in the country about a lack of a coherent response where we were having people, for reasons that had nothing to do with public health or science, refusing to adhere to public health intervention measures,” he said.
Greene’s accusations reflect deep public anger over lockdowns and monetary conflicts of interests remain a focus of partisan criticism.
