Facts First: CNN's not going to just sit there while Marco Rubio tells the truth about Dr. Anthony Fauci's COVID19 shenanigans

GOP Sen. Marco Rubio hasn’t been shy about criticizing Dr. Anthony Fauci’s record of walkbacks and goalpost shifting during the course of the COVID19 pandemic:

Dr. Fauci lied about masks in March

Dr. Fauci has been distorting the level of vaccination needed for herd immunity

It isn’t just him

Many in elite bubbles believe the American public doesn’t know “what’s good for them” so they need to be tricked into “doing the right thing”

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 27, 2020

Rubio also received a COVID19 vaccine ten days ago:

I know I looked away from the needle

And yes, I know I need a tan

But I am so confident that the #Covid19 vaccine is safe & effective that I decided to take it myself pic.twitter.com/TQbog6fu7i

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 19, 2020

Some people (read: idiots and/or intellectually dishonest garbage people) seem to think that makes Rubio a hypocrite.

And CNN is apparently only too happy to indulge those people:

Just a week after GOP Sen. Marco Rubio was criticized for getting the Covid-19 vaccine ahead of some front-line workers, Rubio is back in the hot seat for comments about Dr. Anthony Fauci and others regarding public perception surrounding Covid-19 https://t.co/ughquBpoOz

— CNN (@CNN) December 29, 2020

From CNN’s Tara Subramaniam:

Just a week after Sen. Marco Rubio was criticized for getting the coronavirus vaccine ahead of some front-line workers, the Florida Republican is back in the hot seat for his comments accusing Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and others of manipulating public perception surrounding Covid-19.

“Dr. Fauci lied about masks in March,” Rubio tweeted on Sunday morning. “Dr. Fauci has been distorting the level of vaccination needed for herd immunity.”

Facts First: Rubio’s claims are false and misleading. Fauci did not lie about masks. Though Fauci, along with several other US health leaders, did initially advise people not to wear masks, his guidance evolved along with the scientific community’s understanding of the coronavirus. Similarly, Fauci has insisted any change in the numbers he’s provided regarding herd immunity is due in large part to new science and representative of the fact that there’s a range of estimates for the necessary level.

Fauci's exact quote from March 8th:

“When you’re in the middle of an outbreak, wearing a mask might make people feel a bit better. It might even block a droplet. But it is not providing the perfect protection that people think that it is.” https://t.co/DHsSogVNw5

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) December 29, 2020

This wasn't just mask wearing. The 60 Minutes reporter said "Are you sure? Because people are listening very carefully." Here's the cliphttps://t.co/kgStSnRvf9

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) December 29, 2020

This wasn't an offhand comment by Fauci. Whether Fauci "lied" or not is completely beside the point. Rubio is right here.

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) December 29, 2020

And the fact that Rubio is right is what firefighters like those at CNN find so offensive.

Fauci admits to lying.

That undermines his role as a public health expert.

But that's not the story. People pointing out that his lying undermines his role as an expert is the story.

Wow.

— RBe (@RBPundit) December 29, 2020

This … is CNN.

He’s actually not in the hot seat; you just lie habitually as a network. https://t.co/8S57BFf05q

— Matthew RJ Brodsky (@RJBrodsky) December 29, 2020

And it’s a habit they’re not willing to break.

They’re in for a rude awakening if they think Americans will start respecting them once Trump leaves office. Things never seem to end up working out the way they’ve planned.

If Rubio continues to generate this kind of white hot rage from social media and journalists over correct comments, he might end up being a 24 contender after all.

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) December 29, 2020