Chris Cillizza, a former CNN editor-at-large, recently admitted he made significant mistakes in how he assessed Anthony Fauci’s credibility during the pandemic. In a series of tweets, Cillizza acknowledged he was wrong to dismiss conservative voices — including President Donald Trump — who questioned Fauci’s narrative.
In his reflection, Cillizza confessed that his biases against Trump and his trust in Fauci’s expertise led him to overlook alternative perspectives, particularly on the origins of COVID-19. “If this was a debate between Donald Trump and Anthony Fauci on the origins of a pandemic-level virus, I was going to go with the guy who spent his entire career studying this stuff, not the reality TV-star-turned-president,” Cillizza wrote.
However, as more evidence has emerged supporting the lab-leak theory — a hypothesis Trump and many conservatives championed early on — Cillizza admitted he failed to remain skeptical of official narratives. “The lesson: Be skeptical — of experts or anyone else — when dealing with a rapidly-developing and changing situation where no one has the ability to see a 360-degree view,” he added.
Cillizza’s mea culpa comes at a time when public trust in health officials has sharply declined, exacerbated by shifting guidance, controversies over lockdown policies, and the politicization of COVID-19 origins. For many, Fauci became a polarizing figure, hailed by some as a steady hand during the crisis but criticized by many others for missteps and inconsistencies in his messaging.
The timing of Cillizza’s comments is noteworthy. President Trump recently revoked Fauci’s federal security detail, citing the former official’s ability to afford private protection. Trump justified this decision by saying that former officials should not rely indefinitely on government-funded security and suggested that individuals like Fauci could afford private protection. […]
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