Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith said Thursday that former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci should have answered lawmakers' questions during the hostile Senate hearing earlier this week instead of invoking his Fifth Amendment rights.
Smith argued that Fauci owed the public an explanation after serving as the face of the nation's COVID-19 response.
"As it strictly pertains to the coronavirus pandemic, my attitude is, with you being the face that you have been, you can't show up on Capitol Hill and plead the Fifth 111 times," he told NewsNation's Chris Cuomo. "You just can't do that. That's not right. You've got to answer some questions."
During a three-hour hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday, Fauci pleaded the Fifth 111 times as Republicans blasted him over his handling of the pandemic and accused the doctor of covering up the U.S.'s involvement in gain-of-function research that could have caused the spread of the virus.
Smith acknowledged that Fauci, who led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for nearly 40 years, may have had a legitimate legal reason to remain silent — pointing to a pardon he received from former President Biden on his final day in office for potential offenses between Jan. 1, 2014, and Jan. 19, 2025.
#smith
Smith argued that Fauci owed the public an explanation after serving as the face of the nation's COVID-19 response.
"As it strictly pertains to the coronavirus pandemic, my attitude is, with you being the face that you have been, you can't show up on Capitol Hill and plead the Fifth 111 times," he told NewsNation's Chris Cuomo. "You just can't do that. That's not right. You've got to answer some questions."
During a three-hour hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday, Fauci pleaded the Fifth 111 times as Republicans blasted him over his handling of the pandemic and accused the doctor of covering up the U.S.'s involvement in gain-of-function research that could have caused the spread of the virus.
Smith acknowledged that Fauci, who led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for nearly 40 years, may have had a legitimate legal reason to remain silent — pointing to a pardon he received from former President Biden on his final day in office for potential offenses between Jan. 1, 2014, and Jan. 19, 2025.
#smith
2 months ago
