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Anthony Fauci said at a conference Wednesday that he would not retire in the “classic sense” even if many Americans get tired of the doctor asking him to retire permanently.
Many social media users have taken to the internet to complain about Fauci’s reluctance to hang up his boots for good, calling on the 81-year-old to “retire in the classic sense.”
Fauci spoke at The Atlantic Festival, sponsored by the media outlet The Atlantic, where he discussed the “draconian” measures he had instituted, but defended the decision where necessary due to dire situations in the country’s hospitals.
The country’s “top doctor” said he knew closing business, even temporarily, would have a bad effect on schoolchildren and the country’s economy.
One Twitter user called on him to ‘just retire already’, claiming he knows ‘it’s no longer a pandemic!’
Speaking at The Atlantic Festival sponsored by media outlet The Atlantic, Fauci admitted his ‘draconian’ lockdowns had negative consequences
Many Americans took to Twitter after the discussion to express their feelings about his comments, and some want him to step out of professional life for good.
A Twitter user claimed Fauci knows there is no longer a Coronavirus pandemic and asks him to ‘just retire already’
Fauci said his biggest regret was not explaining more clearly that “science and data change from day to day and week to week.”
He also claimed that social media created a division that distorted his statements and purposefully made his guidance sound controversial and arbitrary.
“If you’re making recommendations, as the primary goal when you’re dealing with a situation where New York hospitals were overrun, intensive care units were put in hallways, you have to do something that’s kind of draconian.”
He said his biggest regret was not explaining more clearly that “science and data change from day to day and week to week.”
“You have to strike a balance when you’re dealing with the only way to keep something cold in its path is to try and shut things down,” Fauci said.
“You’re trying to shut things down for a while, that’s bad. but for the purpose of being able to regroup so that you can then open up in a safe way, that’s the best way to do it,” he continued.
When asked about what comes next for the Covid czar, Fauci said he’s not retiring but would rather “rewire” as he wants to inspire the next generation of medical professionals and perhaps write articles or lectures.
‘I’m not retiring in the classic sense. I’m leaving the federal government,” he said.
“I think I looked quite spry and energetic at my age, I still have a few years left to do something while I’m still energetic. I still have all my intelligence and I’m still relatively healthy, he added.’
He claimed that “the benefit of my experience is to hopefully inspire the younger generation of scientists and future scientists so that you could encourage them to pursue careers in science and medicine.”
He was also questioned about President Joe Biden’s controversial comments over the weekend, in which he claimed the Covid pandemic was “over”.
‘I’m not retiring in the classic sense. I’m leaving the federal government,” Fauci said at the conference
President Joe Biden claimed the Covid pandemic was ‘over’ on Sunday in an interview with 60 Minutes
“We still have a problem with COVID. We are still working on it. It is — but the pandemic is over,” Biden told journalist Scott Pelley
On Sunday’s episode of 60 Minutes, host Scott Pelley pointed out to the president that they were walking around the first Detroit Auto Show in three years and then asked, “Is the pandemic over?”
“The pandemic is over,” Biden replied. “We still have a problem with COVID. We are still working on it. It is – but the pandemic is over.’
Fauci said Biden was trying to make it clear that “it’s very different now” and said: “we have vaccinations, we have boosters, we have an updated vaccine available in recent weeks that actually matches the circulating strain.”
The epidemiologist said in August that he will leave government service in December to “continue the next chapter of his career,” as President Joe Biden praised his work during the Covid pandemic and Republicans pledged to call him for Congress.
Biden said Fauci has saved “countless lives,” including decades of work on infectious diseases, including the AIDS crisis, Ebola, Zika and the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’ve been able to call him at any hour of the day for his advice as we tackled this once-in-a-generation pandemic. His dedication to the work is unwavering and he does it with unparalleled spirit, energy and scientific integrity,” Biden said in a statement.
Fauci became a household name during Donald Trump’s presidency when he clashed with the then-president and members of the Republican Party over how to deal with the covid pandemic.
Ultimately sidelined by the Trump administration, he continued to speak out, advocating face masks and social distancing before vaccines were widely available, while Republicans portrayed him as a symbol of lockdowns.
Fauci also clashed with Congressional Republicans over pandemic mitigation measures, most notably Senator Rand Paul.
Fauci’s resignation will not hinder a comprehensive investigation into the origins of the pandemic. He will be asked to testify under oath about any discussions he has participated in regarding the lab leak,” Paul wrote on Twitter about Fauci’s resignation.
There was some suggestion that if Republicans gain control of Congress in the November election, they would launch an investigation into Fauci. There was speculation that he would retire to prevent that.
Fauci called that “nonsense.”
However, Republicans have already vowed to call him to Congress — whether he works for the government or not.