Dr. Tony Fauci continues his prolific book tour, and this Tuesday, he returned to CBS Mornings. Co-hosts Gayle King and Nate Burleson regurgitated soft questions while tip-toeing around potentially impactful subjects, such as America’s fear of a Trump re-election or shortcomings in the handling of COVID-19.
King’s approach was to highlight Fauci’s role in the COVID-19 pandemic, using it as a base to further heap praise upon him. She conveniently bypassed details about the Pfizer vaccine that continue to be a concern for many Americans, showing very little interest in getting to the facts that the people want and need to know.
The fact that Fauci is still surrounded by a security detail didn’t go amiss in the conversation. But rather than critically analyze the circumstances that may have led to the need for a security detail, King simply then used this to assert, even more strongly, Fauci’s ‘hero’ status.
A recurring theme was the panel’s attempts to undermine and smear former President Donald Trump. Burleson even brought up the long discredited claim that Trump had labelled COVID-19 as a hoax, stoking the flames of discord right there on air. Double standards appeared when asked about Biden’s capability as a president, and Fauci was quick to vouch for him. But where is the unbiased reporting here?
One cannot ignore co-host Tony Dokoupil’s approach either. Despite being part of a largely liberal broadcast network, Dokoupil’s questions brought out a different side of Fauci; a side that seemed less comfortable under direct questioning. Is this the side we needed to see from the get-go? Is it a glimpse into the truths we’ve been unaware of?
Questions about the impact of school closures and about the possible links between the virus and a lab in China saw Fauci deflecting and conveniently circumventing responses. Dokoupil noticed this too, as he stood his ground, pushing Fauci to admit to some degree that the year-long school closures probably did more harm than good.
When Fauci attempted to deflect Dokoupil’s questions about the lab leak theory with patronizing comments about the researcher Alina Chan, Dokoupil didn’t let it slide. Instead, he further pushed for an answer, which Fauci begrudgingly gave.
While the co-hosts continue to praise Fauci for “saving lives”, one has to wonder if the real truth about the handling of the pandemic and its toll on American lives will ever be unraveled. Perhaps the key to unveiling these facts lies in rigorous questioning and impartial reporting, which seemed to be the missing ingredients in this interview. With courageous journalism, despite the common narrative, the truth will eventually reveal itself.
