Dr. Anthony Fauci has been the subject of a lot of criticism since the pandemic began. Most recently at Turning Point USA, Fox News host Jesse Watters openly criticized Fauci. In response, Fauci went on CNN and said that Watters should be “fired on the spot.”
Turning Point USA is a conservative nonprofit organization that promotes conservative values in high schools and universities. TPUSA has connections with most of the major conservative political figures such as Sens. Rick Scott and Ted Cruz, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump Jr., Candace Owens and others.
Currently, TPUSA is hosting “AmericaFest” and Watters was one of the featured speakers. In his speech he criticized Fauci for the many issues surrounding the pandemic.
Watters then described how Fauci should be called out and questioned and how an ordinary person could create a viral moment by confronting Fauci in public and getting it on video. In his description, he used the metaphor of “ambushing” Fauci in the style of an aggressive journalist.
“Now you go in for the kill shot. The kill shot with an ambush — deadly, because he doesn’t see it coming … Boom, he is dead! He is dead!” Watters said.
Many reacted to Watters’ rhetoric, claiming that this language and encouragement to harass Fauci was dangerous and incendiary.
The incendiary, dangerous, violent rhetoric against Dr. Fauci continues at AmericaFest. Fox News host Jesse Watters tells them how to go after him to harass him in public: “Now you go in with the kill shot – deadly. Because, with an ambush, he doesn’t see it coming.” pic.twitter.com/V34YZwDdPD
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) December 20, 2021
When Fauci went on CNN to speak with “New Day,” co-anchor John Berman, Watters’ speech was brought up.
“Jesse Waters, who is a Fox News entertainer, was giving a speech to a conservative group where he talked about you, and suggested to the crowd that they ambush you with what he said was some kind of rhetorical kill shot. That was his exact word,” Berman said, as Mediaite reported. “I’m wondering, you know, how much that concerns you when you hear language like that about you and your well-being?”
Fauci responded that he thought Watters’ comments were “horrible.”
Fauci went on to say that all he has been doing since the pandemic started is to promote good health practices, safety and the vaccine.
“And for that, you have some guy out there saying that people should be giving me a kill shot, to ambush me? I mean, what kind of craziness is there in society these days?”
Fauci then added that he thought Watters should be fired for these comments.
“That’s awful that he said that. And he’s going to go very likely unaccountable. I mean, whatever network he’s on is not going to do anything for him. I mean, that’s crazy. The guy should be fired on the spot!” Fauci said.
Dr. Anthony Fauci says Fox News’ Jesse Watters should “be fired on the spot” for telling a crowd to “ambush” Fauci with “the kill shot.”
But, he adds: “He’s gonna go, very likely, unaccountable. I mean, whatever network he’s on is not going to do anything for him.” pic.twitter.com/K3X0V3jZdM
— The Recount (@therecount) December 21, 2021
This is not, however, the first time that conservatives have used extreme metaphors to criticize Fauci. Earlier this month another Fox host, Lara Logan, compared Fauci to the infamous Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, as Politico reported.
Fox host Lara Logan says that people tell her that Dr. Fauci doesn't represent science, but represents Josef Mengele, the Nazi doctor known as the "Angel of Death" for performing medical experiments at Auschwitz: "I am talking about people all across the world are saying this" pic.twitter.com/fF2DAWfG7d
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) November 30, 2021
Fauci also rebuked Fox after those comments were made. He said he was “astounded” that Logan faced no disciplinary actions for her comments.
Fox News has not offered any comments on Watters’ comments or Fauci’s backlash, Politico reported.
Via The Western Journal.