Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has raised eyebrows with his bold stance on the preemptive pardons issued by President Joe Biden to Dr. Anthony Fauci, warning that they could backfire and lead to more scrutiny of the former COVID czar at the state level. While Fauci may have immunity from federal prosecution, DeSantis pointed out that Biden’s pardon doesn’t shield him from legal action in individual states, where prosecutors have the power to pursue charges.
At a recent press conference, DeSantis was asked about the potential for state-level prosecution of Fauci despite the federal pardon. The crowd erupted in laughter as the governor made it clear that the pardon could unintentionally set the stage for further investigation into Fauci’s controversial handling of the pandemic. DeSantis took the opportunity to call out recent revelations surrounding Fauci, including a bizarre commemoration of his legacy at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) headquarters, funded by none other than tech mogul Elon Musk.
“I don’t know if you saw this Elon Musk stuff,” DeSantis said, referencing Musk’s controversial funding of a plaque at the NIH to honor Fauci. “They identified $180,000 for a commemoration of Fauci. What the hell are they commemorating about Fauci? At best, you can say, he oversaw the ‘Super Bowl’ of public health—the pandemic—and he totally botched it. That’s the best you can say without even getting into the gain-of-function research and all the shady dealings surrounding that.”
DeSantis didn’t hold back, adding, “At best, you have to admit Fauci got it wrong when this country was looking for leadership. He was constantly on TV… I’ve never seen anyone do more TV interviews. And I was like, why isn’t he looking at the data? Oh, that’s right, because he’s always doing interviews. That’s why he’s not looking at the data.”
The Florida governor’s critique of Fauci was relentless, but it was his comments on Biden’s pardon that grabbed the most attention. “Biden preemptively pardoned Fauci, which is odd because if Fauci didn’t do anything wrong, why the need for a pardon in the first place?” DeSantis asked. “This just raises more questions and makes it more likely that states are going to look into this.”
In his remarks, DeSantis highlighted the power of state attorneys general, who can launch investigations into individuals like Fauci despite the federal pardon. He argued that Biden’s decision to pardon Fauci may have unintentionally fueled the fire for further scrutiny. “Had Biden not pardoned him, I don’t think you would have seen states really doing this,” DeSantis said. “But now, I think the pardon actually makes it more likely that Fauci will face additional legal action.”
The governor continued to stress that the entire situation could “backfire” on Fauci, particularly if state authorities step in. “If the Trump administration had pursued charges against Fauci in D.C., they wouldn’t have gotten very far. But now, with state actions, we may actually see some consequences,” DeSantis explained. “The reason it could backfire is that, even with Biden’s pardon, the political landscape has shifted. The swamp in D.C. may protect its own, but outside Washington, there’s a chance for real accountability.”
With the growing wave of public distrust over Fauci’s pandemic decisions, DeSantis’ warning comes at a time when more and more people are calling for accountability, not just from the federal government, but from state and local officials as well. Biden’s pardon may have inadvertently turned the heat up on Fauci, potentially opening the door for a new wave of investigations into his controversial role during the pandemic. Whether Fauci can dodge that scrutiny remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the pressure is mounting, and it’s not going away anytime soon.
