Former Trump-era Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams ripped into CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday over a segment in which they criticized the vaccine hesitancy on display at CPAC.
“I love Dr. Fauci, and I have great respect for @jaketapper – yet I still don’t understand the endgame for blame and shame discussions like this, Adams tweeted. “Did a single vaccine hesitant person look at this and change their mind? Did a single one see this and become more entrenched?”
I love Dr. Fauci, and I have great respect for @jaketapper – yet I still don’t understand the endgame for blame and shame discussions like this. Did a single vaccine hesitant person look at this and change their mind? Did a single one see this and become more entrenched? https://t.co/bXQD9SMjsz
— Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) July 11, 2021
Fauci called the clip from CPAC “horrifying.” Watch for yourself:
"It's horrifying … it's almost frightening" — Dr. Fauci on CPAC attendees cheering against Covid vaccinations pic.twitter.com/QUplEFb1s7
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 11, 2021
And have you noticed that this really only goes one way? LeBron James, for example, mostly gets a pass for taking a back seat on vaccines:
Last year during the election, @KingJames eagerly took on a prominent political role, pushing to expand voting access and model getting involved. Now on the vaccine, he is trying to pull back from that role in a way which suggests he didn’t get the shots: https://t.co/j5oLwgls06
— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) May 21, 2021
And it should be bipartisan. Politico reported last week on vaccine hesitancy in the Black community:
Doug Emhoff visited a Chicago barbershop the other week to promote vaccines.
“I think it was pretty cool,” said Travis Perry who was working the day Emhoff visited.
Did it make him rethink his decision not to get the vaccine?
“No way"
via @natashakorecki https://t.co/Rgt6qpv8DQ— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) July 7, 2021
But, instead, Tapper and Fauci do another segment to mock the conservatives:
I really would’ve loved a more constructive conversation about why people are mistrustful, and what we can do to rebuild that trust- vs a “they’re idiots who frighten me” framing. Even if you believe that- how does it help with the purported goal of engagement? 🤷🏽♂️
— Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) July 11, 2021
Admas went on to say that the way he heard the segment is that “Tapper and Fauci think we’re idiots”:
This isn’t about those who are vaccine “hesitant,” it’s about people like Berensen and others at CPAC who spew propaganda and fill people’s heads with lies.
That’s what the segment was about.
— Dara Kass, MD (@darakass) July 11, 2021
That’s what you heard- but you’re not the target audience. I’m telling you- I live & work with the target audience. And what they heard was Tapper and Fauci think we’re idiots. Also, I’m willing to bet I’ve convinced more Trump supporters to get vaxxed than most. It can be done.
— Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) July 11, 2021
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