Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) defended White House task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday night as he comes under fire from pro-Trump conservatives for speaking out against reopening the U.S. at this stage of the COVID-19 outbreak, as President Donald Trump has advocated.
Cheney, a member of GOP leadership as House Republican Conference chair, called Fauci “one of the finest public servants we have ever had” via Twitter.
“He is not a partisan. His only interest is saving lives,” the GOP leader tweeted. “We need his expertise and his judgment to defeat this virus.”
“All Americans should be thanking him. Every day,” she continued.
Though Cheney did not mention any one person in particular, her tweet came after Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) told Fauci during a Senate hearing that he “ought to have a little bit of humility” regarding the health official’s warning against reopening the U.S. prematurely.
“We can listen to your advice, but there are people on the other side who are saying there’s not going to be a surge and that we can safely open the economy,” the GOP senator said.
Additionally, Fox News and outspoken loyalist to President Donald Trump host Tucker Carlson had railed against Fauci on Tuesday night, calling him an “unelected official” whom the “Democratic establishment are clamoring to give even more power.”
Other pro-Trump media figures have targeted Fauci as well, as has Trump’s fanbase online.
Though he’s reportedly been assigned extra security detail after receiving threats, Fauci seems unfazed by the attacks.
“There are things about it that are sometimes disturbing,” he said during an NBC interview in early April. “But you just focus on the job you have to do, and just put all that stuff aside and try as best as possible not to pay attention to it.”
