Cable news personality and President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci admitted this week that he has “flip-flopped” on COVID policy, but argued that “it’s a good thing” and “the general public doesn’t fully understand that.”
Fauci made the comments during an interview with Detroit news outlet Local 4.
“You’ve basically been accused of flip-flopping on your positions. Can you clarify why some of those nuanced opinions are really important?” Fauci was asked.
“Yeah, what I can say, it’s a good thing,” Fauci insisted. “I have flip-flopped and the reason is because science and the evolution of this outbreak changes.”
FAUCI: “Yeah, what I can say, it’s a good thing I have flip-flopped." pic.twitter.com/XY4u5UOIKM
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“If you are being true to the facts and true to the data, you’re going to have to change,” Fauci continued. “That’s not flip-flopping, that’s getting moving along with the science the way this outbreak is moving along. And it’s understandable how the general public doesn’t fully understand that.”
During an appearance on Fox News, Fauci clarified earlier statements he made after a judge struck down the divisive CDC mask mandate for transportation including airplanes. At the time, Fauci said he did not believe the decision should have made it to a court room, but rather been left to the experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention without judicial oversight.
“This is a public health issue,” Fauci reminded the viewers, adding that “the point that I was making is that you always respect a decision of a judge in a court, in fact that’s what’s happening right now because masks are coming off in transportation.”
He continued, “I think it’s a bad precedent when decisions about public health issues are made by people, be they judges or what have you, that don’t have experience or expertise in public health.”
“I believe this should remain a CDC decision,” Fauci added.
