Rush Limbaugh is not at all pleased with how Dr. Anthony Fauci acts during President Donald Trump’s daily coronavirus press briefings. And he has good reason.
During an episode of “The Rush Limbaugh Show” earlier this week, the legendary conservative host let loose. At issue was an exchange of gestures between Fauci and Jonathan Karl, a reporter for ABC News. Limbaugh — and others — think the gestures indicate a possibly-improper relationship between the two.
The Chinese “Reporter”
Jon Karl is the current head of the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA). That means he personally decides what press agencies attend the events held by President Trump. For this briefing, Karl allowed in a Chinese “journalist” who proceeded to attack the President with a series of pro-China questions.
In fact, the hostile reporter’s agenda seemed to be less about asking questions and more about presenting the Chinese government’s propaganda talking points. President Trump shrewdly noticed the bias almost immediately.
He directly asked, “Who are you working for, China? Do you work for China, or are you with a newspaper? Who are you with?”
Limbaugh said “Jonathan Karl yesterday brought in a China-sympathetic reporter to that press briefing. That China reporter in there from Phoenix TV — that’s a Chinese-dominated company — Jonathan Karl of ABC runs the White House Correspondents’ Association, so he brought the reporter in there.”
Limbaugh is right about Phoenix TV. A 2017 report revealed that the company is owned by a Chinese former military officer with ties to Beijing. The coverage has been “typically favorable to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party)”.
Fauci and the “Finger Guns”
But at the conclusion of the presser, something odd happened.
“And I don’t know if anybody noticed it, but little Dr. Fauci at the end of the briefing gave Karl a thumbs-up like a ‘job well done’ kind of thing,” Limbaugh observed.
Karl, seated in the front row, clearly saluted Dr. Fauci, who was conspicuously the last person to exit the stage. The doctor then gave Karl a kind of salute in return, as if to say “good job”. The gesture has variously been described as “finger guns” and “thumbs up”, but the meaning seemed plain.
Was the admittance of the propaganda-spouting reporter and the subsequent testy exchange part of some orchestrated behind-the-scenes collaboration?
Fauci: Not-So-Secret Political Preferences
Limbaugh also blasted the White House coronavirus task force team, accusing them of trying to “get rid” of Trump.
“We got all of these Hillary Clinton sympathizers still on the medical expert team here. And we know that one thing has not changed, and that is these people’s desire above everything else to get rid of Donald Trump.”
Without naming names, Limbaugh was obviously talking about Dr. Fauci, whose admiration for Clinton is well-established. For example, Wikileaks released emails that leave no doubt. In 2012, Dr. Fauci gushed, “Please tell the Secretary that I love her more than ever…”
In another, he wrote, “Please tell her that we all love her and are very proud to know her.”
With those sentiments in mind, it’s not surprising how often Dr. Fauci seems to be at odds with the President. He:
- Refuses to criticize the World Health Organization.
- Downplays the efficacy of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19.
- Objected to President Trump’s travel ban with China.
Moving Forward
Increasingly, there are whispers with the conservative community that Dr. Fauci may not be the right man for the job. While his medical knowledge and expertise are beyond question, his political motives are still suspect. There is a difference between disagreeing with President Trump and actively undermining him strictly for political reasons.
If the coronavirus infection rate has indeed plateaued, and Fauci recommends extending the lockdown, that is an undeniable red flag. After all, the Left believes that anything harmful to the President is good for their side.
As Rush Limbaugh says, “Can you believe these people don’t care about the economy being shut down? It’s stunning to me.”