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Fauci fires back at Rand Paul, accusing him of using attacks for ‘political gain’

He said distortions by the senator have led to death threats against him. He pointed to the arrest last month of a man with an AR-15 rifle who police said was driving to D.C. with a ‘hit list.’

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Updated January 11, 2022 at 6:10 p.m. EST|Published January 11, 2022 at 12:54 p.m. EST
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, accused Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) of endangering his life with false claims. (Video: The Washington Post)

Anthony S. Fauci accused Sen. Rand Paul on Tuesday of raising campaign funds off false attacks on him that have encouraged threats on Fauci’s life.

Throughout the pandemic, Paul (R-Ky.) and other conservatives have questioned the science behind vaccines, masks and other public health measures and spun conspiracy claims about Fauci having a role in the creation of the coronavirus. The attacks on Fauci, who is President Biden’s chief medical adviser on the coronavirus and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, have grown increasingly hostile in recent months, and Fauci has been under stepped-up security protection since 2020.