Jim Jordan, the Republican congressman from Ohio clashed with the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci over the impact of protests on the spread of the coronavirus, during a House subcommittee hearing on Friday.
Jordan was trying to get Dr. Fauci to get into a political debate about nationwide protests. He repeatedly asked Dr. Fauci to weigh in on whether protests facilitate the spread of the virus. But Fauci refused to take Jordan’s bait.
“Should government limit the protesting?” Jordan asked.
“I don’t think that’s relevant. I’m not in a position to determine what the government can do in a forceful way,” Dr. Fauci responded.
“You make all kinds of recommendations. You made comments on dating and baseball and everything you can imagine. You just said protests increase the spread — should we try to limit the protest?” Jordan pressed.
While Fauci was trying to get his point across that crowds, in general, could increase the spread of the virus, Jordan interrupted him saying states are limiting people from attending church services. He then asks Dr. Fauci:
“Is there a world where the Constitution says you can favor one First Amendment liberty, protesting, over another, practicing your faith?”
“I’m not favoring anybody over anybody,” Fauci said. “I’m just making a statement, that’s a broad statement. That avoid crowds of any type no matter where you are because that leads to the acquisition and transmission. And I don’t judge one crowd versus another crowd. When you’re in a crowd, particularly if you’re not wearing a mask, that induces the spread.”
“I haven’t seen people during a church service go out and harm police officers and burn buildings, but we know that for 63 days, nine weeks, it’s been happening in Portland,” Jordan said. “No limit to protest but you can’t go to church on Sunday.”
“I don’t know how many times I can answer that. I’m not going to opine on limiting anything,” Fauci said again.
Not satisfied with this answer, Jordan pushed back telling Fauci he has opined on alot of things.
Fauci responded by reiterating that individuals should avoid crowds no matter where the crowd is.
“Government has stopped people from going to work,” Jordan said. He then cited reporters of gym owners in New Jersey getting arrested for repeatedly defying the state’s shutdown orders. “Do you see the inconsistency though, Dr. Fauci?”
“There’s no inconsistency congressman”, Fauci answered.
“You’re allowed to protest millions of people on one day in crowds, yelling, screaming, but if you try to run your business, you’ll get arrested, and if you stood outside and protest right outside that business you wouldn’t get arrested. You don’t see any inconsistencies?” Jordan asked again.
“I don’t understand why you’re asking me, as a public health official, to opine on who should get arrested or not. That’s not my position. You could ask me as much as you want, and I’m not going to answer it,” a clearly frustrated Dr. Fauci answered.
Jordan then falsely claim that Dr. Fauci said protest increased the spread of the virus.
” I never said that,” Fauci clarified. “I said crowds I didn’t specifically say protests”
“So the protests don’t increase the spread of the virus?” Jordan asked again.
“I didn’t say that. You’re putting words in my mouth. I could tell you that crowds are known, particularly when you don’t have a mask, to increase the acquisition and transmission, no matter where the crowd is,” Fauci said.
“So you don’t have a position on whether the protests increase the spread of the virus or don’t increase the spread of the virus?” Jordan asked.
” I’m saying that crowds, no matter where the crowds are can give you an increased propability of that there’s going to be acquisition and transmission,” Fauci reiterated.
Watch the clip of the exchange below from MSNBC:
