Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has launched a scathing critique of Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, over his alleged involvement in gain-of-function research.
In a recent interview with Fox News' Laura Ingraham, Kennedy accused Fauci of intentionally violating a prohibition on bioweapon development and attempting to obscure his actions.
According to The Blaze, Kennedy's allegations against Fauci are severe, with some interpreting them as accusations of "crimes against humanity." This comes on the heels of President Donald Trump's executive order issued on Monday, which aims to curtail funding for overseas gain-of-function researcha type of research many believe contributed to the emergence of COVID-19.
A White House fact sheet stated, "These measures will drastically reduce the potential for lab-related incidents involving gain-of-function research, like that conducted on bat coronaviruses in China by the EcoHealth Alliance and Wuhan Institute of Virology."
During his discussion with Ingraham, Kennedy elaborated on the administration's recent efforts to safeguard Americans from perilous research and linked these actions to Fauci's alleged involvement. He described gain-of-function studies as a form of science intended to enhance the virulence, transmissibility, and lethality of microbes and pathogens. Kennedy recounted that the U.S. military and intelligence agencies initiated gain-of-function research in 1947 to develop bioweapons, a practice banned by President Richard Nixon in 1969. This ban remained in place until 2001, following the anthrax terrorist attack.
Kennedy asserted that after the anthrax incidents, Fauci effectively reignited the bioweapons arms race under the guise of vaccine development, as both bioweapons and vaccines rely on similar scientific principles. He claimed that in 2014, after three of Fauci's experiments reportedly went awry, numerous scientists urged then-President Barack Obama to halt Fauci's research. "President Obama declared a moratorium, but instead of shutting down his experiments, [Fauci] moved them offshore, mainly to the Wuhan lab," Kennedy alleged. He further stated that key institutions, including the CIA, FBI, State Department, and Department of Energy, now suggest that these experiments likely led to the COVID-19 pandemic's onset in 2019.
Kennedy praised President Trump's decisive action to terminate such research domestically and cease its funding abroad. BlazeTV host and Blaze News columnist Steve Deace echoed Kennedy's sentiments, advocating for a Department of Justice referral. "There is no other way to receive this but @SecKennedy is accusing Fauci of crimes against humanity. This is a direct accusation. Shouldn't this now be referred to DOJ for prosecution?" Deace expressed in a post on X.
In the final days of his presidency, Joe Biden issued a comprehensive pardon to Fauci for any offenses against the United States dating back to January 2014. Fauci, who resigned from his NIAID role in 2022, now serves as a "Distinguished University Professor" at Georgetown University's School of Medicine.
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