Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Sunday called Dr. Anthony Fauci an "unelected technocrat who has distorted science and facts in order to exercise authoritarian control over millions of Americans" after Fauci blasted Cruz for suggesting he be investigated for statements he made about COVID-19.
"He lives in a liberal world where his smug 'I REPRESENT science' attitude is praised," Cruz tweeted.
The lawmaker also called for the Justice Department to investigate Fauci for making false statements to Congress.
During an interview with CBS News, Fauci told host Margaret Brennan that "anybody who spins lies and threatens and all that theater that goes on with some of the investigations and the congressional committees and the Rand Pauls and all that other nonsense, that’s noise, Margaret, that’s noise."
When Fauci was asked about Cruz’s original call for an investigation, Fauci responded that "I have to laugh at that. I should be prosecuted? What happened on Jan. 6, senator?"
It was a reference to the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Trump that was stoked as Cruz helped lead GOP objections to Congress’ certifying the 2020 election results.
“I’m just going to do my job and I’m going to be saving lives, and they’re going to be lying,” Fauci said.
Some Republicans, including Cruz and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., have accused Fauci of lying to Congress when he denied in May that the National Institutes of Health funded “gain of function” research — the practice of enhancing a virus in a lab to study its potential effect in the real world — at a virology lab in Wuhan, China. Cruz has urged Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Fauci’s statements.
Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, called the GOP criticism nonsense.
Cruz on Sunday listed four "facts" as to why he called for a DOJ probe into Fauci, and concluded that "no amount of ad hominem insults parroting Democrat talking points will get Fauci out of this contradiction."
"Fauci either needs to address the substance—in detail, with specific factual corroboration—or DOJ should consider prosecuting him for making false statements to Congress."
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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