Social media users are sharing a video clip of a press conference by Republican US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene to falsely claim that Dr Anthony Fauci, the US' top infectious diseases expert has been sacked for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The posts also falsely claim that the US has admitted that SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, is man made.
Dr Fauci has not been removed from his posts as the chief medical adviser to the US president, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Chief Medical Adviser for COVID Response or as a member of the White House COVID-19 Response Team.
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Dr Fauci has been a frequent target of right-wing figures, COVID-19 skeptics and anti-vaccine groups. Dr Fauci has come under increased scrutiny after BuzzFeed published his emails which were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
The 80-year-old has been the director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the US Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 1984.
The video is being shared with the caption, "Dr Fauci is finally getting sacked.!!! US investigates whether the vir#s is man made. He becomes the first wicket to be falling in USA administration. Hope Everything Falls In Place ๐๐This man and many more need to go."
An archive of the tweet can be found here.
An archive of the tweet can be found here.
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BOOM also received the video and claim on our WhatsApp helpline.
Fact Check
The video being shared features US Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene addressing a press conference after introducing a proposed legislation called the Fire Fauci Act. Greene has blamed Dr Fauci for the US' handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The US has reported 3,35,66,522 COVID-19 cases and 6,02,917 deaths as of June 25 according to The New York Times.
The Fire Fauci Act, if passed, will reduce Dr Fauci's salary as the Director of the NIAID to $0 and will hold him accountable for the handling of the pandemic. So far, Greene's proposed bill has only found 13 supporters as of June 22 and is highly unlikely to pass the US Congress which is held by the Democrats.
Also Read: COVID-19 Origin: Lab Leak Or Natural? What We Know
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases website still lists Dr Fauci as its director. Furthermore, there have been no credible news reports about Dr Fauci being fired from any of his posts.
According to the Washingtonian, firing Dr Fauci is not an easy task as he is a public servant and not an elected official.
The Joe Biden administration has not claimed that SARS-CoV-2 is a man-made virus. On May 26, President Biden released a statement where he said that there is not definitive evidence to back the claims that the virus is mad made. However, he has directed the US intelligence services to investigate the origins of the virus and report to him in 90 days. Biden also said that his government would be working with "like-minded partners around the world" to get China to participate in a "full, transparent, evidence-based international investigation and to provide access to all relevant data and evidence."
