{"id":359388,"date":"2026-07-31T01:52:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T01:52:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/uncategorized\/balloon-juice-miscreants-open-thread-the-gops-fauci-inquisition\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T01:52:38","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T01:52:38","slug":"balloon-juice-miscreants-open-thread-the-gops-fauci-inquisition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388","title":{"rendered":"Balloon Juice &#8211; Miscreants Open Thread: The GOP&#8217;s Fauci Inquisition"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<blockquote class=\"bluesky-embed\" data-bluesky-uri=\"at:\/\/did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mrs7r3xqd22u\" data-bluesky-cid=\"bafyreia4prmhsth4gs5sddkulejlj3giufuxfqc5ndcyacgz5zsemrbsjy\" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode=\"system\">\n<p lang=\"en\">\u2026I imagine he thought he was the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.<br \/>Like, the answer to &#8216;why was Fauci so in the public eye?&#8217; was very obviously that the Trump administration was incapable of handling basic press conferences, including the president himself.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp\/post\/3mrs7r3xqd22u?ref_src=embed\">[image or embed]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 &#8220;Online Rent-a-Sage&#8221; Bret Devereaux (<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp?ref_src=embed\">@bretdevereaux.bsky.social<\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp\/post\/3mrs7r3xqd22u?ref_src=embed\">July 29, 2026 at 11:15 AM<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"bluesky-embed\" data-bluesky-uri=\"at:\/\/did:plc:chugy2mhbqau2itmchcx4nvy\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mrsis3jx2s2p\" data-bluesky-cid=\"bafyreidb3pl6m2zbk4ianpd6dj3csqa2arwx6sjfijc7nc67yumfrzwxey\" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode=\"system\">\n<p lang=\"en\">Dr Fauci has led a life of dedicated service. Rand Paul, Ophthalmologist, consumed by professional envy and insecurity, conducted a rage-filled, unhinged assault on him. Dr Fauci has more intelligence and honor than Rand Paul will ever have. Dr Fauci is a patriot. Paul is not.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:chugy2mhbqau2itmchcx4nvy\/post\/3mrsis3jx2s2p?ref_src=embed\">[image or embed]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 DrH (<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:chugy2mhbqau2itmchcx4nvy?ref_src=embed\">@drhaup.bsky.social<\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:chugy2mhbqau2itmchcx4nvy\/post\/3mrsis3jx2s2p?ref_src=embed\">July 29, 2026 at 1:57 PM<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Per the <em>Associated Press<\/em>, <strong>\u201cFauci repeatedly invokes the Fifth Amendment in a contentious Senate committee hearing\u201d<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/fauci-covid19-pandemic-senate-rand-paul-a774a79e46824ebec9e8e270b9cb9825\">Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday<\/a> repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer dozens of questions from senators in a Republican-led committee hearing about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>The decision, at least for now, shielded Fauci from answering questions that could expose him to accusations of lying under oath. Though he received <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/biden-trump-fauci-milley-pardons-january-6-3cba287f89051513fb48d7ae700ae747\">a pardon<\/a> in early 2025 from Democratic President Joe Biden, some Republicans pursuing a yearslong campaign for his arrest had suggested he could still face charges for any perjury committed during Wednesday\u2019s hearing\u2026<\/p>\n<p>In response to angry, sometimes mocking questions from Republican senators, Fauci <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/constitution-fifth-amendment-right-selfincrimination-58b3dac34022c5adab907e3c33349d46\">declined to answer<\/a> more than 100 times, injecting new drama into partisan divides that have <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/coronavirus-pandemic-donald-trump-joe-biden-science-health-80ad119f24f6e7d2e1342429403fde70\">festered for years<\/a> about the origins and handling of the pandemic. Fauci himself has become a polarizing figure, even receiving death threats that prompted him to seek security. <\/p>\n<p>In his opening statement, Fauci said Paul has an \u201cobvious obsession with calling for my prosecution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe only conclusion I can reach is that the sole reason he is calling me before this committee is to get me to say something, anything, that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, \u2018behind bars,\u2019\u201d Fauci said, adding that while it pained him to do so, he was following his attorney\u2019s advice by taking the Fifth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Paul, who has long argued that Fauci should be criminally investigated, based on his belief that the scientist was dishonest in previous testimony to Congress, announced that the committee will vote next week on whether to hold Fauci in contempt for declining to answer questions\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Democratic senators praised Fauci and said he didn\u2019t deserve the treatment he was getting.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis hearing is designed to entrap you,\u201d said Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Scientists also scrambled to Fauci\u2019s defense ahead of the unusual hearing \u2014 the second time he has been back before Congress to discuss pandemic origins since leaving the government in 2022. While the COVID-19 pandemic introduced him to millions of Americans, he talked the nation through numerous outbreaks over decades, including HIV, Ebola and the 2001 anthrax attacks, while advising seven presidents.<\/p>\n<p>In a public letter, more than 150 infectious-disease experts and other scientists wrote that \u201cno credible evidence has been produced to support these absurd charges\u201d and that they are urging elected officials to \u201cstop these witch-hunts.\u201d\u2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"bluesky-embed\" data-bluesky-uri=\"at:\/\/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mrrz6weaea2k\" data-bluesky-cid=\"bafyreie3g5j5b2hm4pv6gijev3r4czgvlus7lxp4vdhwflmnb5cdb7ewyy\" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode=\"system\">\n<p lang=\"en\">Rand Paul loses it when Fauci&#8217;s attorney tries to say something, and he eventually directs security to kick him out of the hearing room<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc\/post\/3mrrz6weaea2k?ref_src=embed\">[image or embed]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Aaron Rupar (<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc?ref_src=embed\">@atrupar.com<\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc\/post\/3mrrz6weaea2k?ref_src=embed\">July 29, 2026 at 9:18 AM<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"bluesky-embed\" data-bluesky-uri=\"at:\/\/did:plc:swgxwbir4rrimj57pf75jckf\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mrsxnw3r7c22\" data-bluesky-cid=\"bafyreibswiiginu5vtkojowrrdeox77qv4lrtgsz3flkp6ulp74ww6d72m\" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode=\"system\">\n<p lang=\"en\">All the Fauci stuff is a modern day version of the POW\/MIA stuff after Vietnam \u2013 a way to try to rewrite the history of a huge failure of conservative ideology to be instead a story about how liberals and foreigners stabbed us in the back.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 mtsw (<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:swgxwbir4rrimj57pf75jckf?ref_src=embed\">@mtsw.bsky.social<\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:swgxwbir4rrimj57pf75jckf\/post\/3mrsxnw3r7c22?ref_src=embed\">July 29, 2026 at 6:23 PM<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"bluesky-embed\" data-bluesky-uri=\"at:\/\/did:plc:jdfwnosj5tavojrkinbcor6h\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mrszuemovk2t\" data-bluesky-cid=\"bafyreia2sx6umowsxjfw2u4uq4gs7nt35hny27hmsncsl6ftr54ys66v4e\" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode=\"system\">\n<p lang=\"en\">The Trash Theory of American Politics: There is a significant electoral constituency for which Trump\u2019s stupidity, vulgarity, and racism are big assets, because if a guy like that can be president, you too have permission. The irrational hatred of Fauci is basically the flip side of this.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:jdfwnosj5tavojrkinbcor6h\/post\/3mrszuemovk2t?ref_src=embed\">[image or embed]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Julian Sanchez (<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:jdfwnosj5tavojrkinbcor6h?ref_src=embed\">@normative.bsky.social<\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:jdfwnosj5tavojrkinbcor6h\/post\/3mrszuemovk2t?ref_src=embed\">July 29, 2026 at 7:02 PM<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"bluesky-embed\" data-bluesky-uri=\"at:\/\/did:plc:jdfwnosj5tavojrkinbcor6h\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mrszytbmzk2t\" data-bluesky-cid=\"bafyreietlidc7lafyr57savrhrgvnpgy6urw6o7hyediy3mblqvdlpnydi\" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode=\"system\">\n<p lang=\"en\">The venom aimed at Fauci has no logical connection to anything he\u2019s actually done. He\u2019s a public figure in politics widely admired for being knowledgable and basically decent in a way that makes the sort of person who loves Trump feel resentful and inferior.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Julian Sanchez (<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:jdfwnosj5tavojrkinbcor6h?ref_src=embed\">@normative.bsky.social<\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:jdfwnosj5tavojrkinbcor6h\/post\/3mrszytbmzk2t?ref_src=embed\">July 29, 2026 at 7:05 PM<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"bluesky-embed\" data-bluesky-uri=\"at:\/\/did:plc:6hit5rjdbmlnscmuk4bbtmuc\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mrsdr5tj4k22\" data-bluesky-cid=\"bafyreih4sdebipeczvxxuupsttcidcoicptln4nmf5yjbfosrwaa6zxaca\" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode=\"system\">\n<p lang=\"en\">man I will just never get over the fact that the collective response to the pandemic, and an absolutely miraculous vaccine development, was to destroy public health in this country and smear everyone involved<br \/>I generally take a positive view of humanity overall but it&#8217;s so depressing<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:6hit5rjdbmlnscmuk4bbtmuc\/post\/3mrsdr5tj4k22?ref_src=embed\">[image or embed]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Micah (<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:6hit5rjdbmlnscmuk4bbtmuc?ref_src=embed\">@rincewind.run<\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:6hit5rjdbmlnscmuk4bbtmuc\/post\/3mrsdr5tj4k22?ref_src=embed\">July 29, 2026 at 12:27 PM<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"bluesky-embed\" data-bluesky-uri=\"at:\/\/did:plc:nuqrjelqx4a2ewqzvwekhuro\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mrnz6t5kac2q\" data-bluesky-cid=\"bafyreiedjcsmxlxoqnrodfldubnn3tifc6onhhejxjne3jabc3jmmwbjh4\" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode=\"system\">\n<p lang=\"en\">\u201cSo, supposing we hit the body with a tremendous\u2014whether it&#8217;s ultraviolet or just very powerful light\u2026then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?\u201d<br \/>RIP 1.2 million Americans \ud83d\ude22<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:nuqrjelqx4a2ewqzvwekhuro\/post\/3mrnz6t5kac2q?ref_src=embed\">[image or embed]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Prof Gavin Yamey MD MPH (<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:nuqrjelqx4a2ewqzvwekhuro?ref_src=embed\">@gavinyamey.bsky.social<\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:nuqrjelqx4a2ewqzvwekhuro\/post\/3mrnz6t5kac2q?ref_src=embed\">July 27, 2026 at 7:07 PM<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"bluesky-embed\" data-bluesky-uri=\"at:\/\/did:plc:mtr3pwmbnirvyp3robuicd57\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mrs6rvxp722t\" data-bluesky-cid=\"bafyreieuqfzvd6m3jqyrol3srcohn4z4w53y4fv67pqtcqv6ze4fo7vevi\" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode=\"system\">\n<p lang=\"en\">The Journal of Clinical Medicine: &#8220;Hydroxychloroquine was not efficacious for treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients and caused more severe adverse events.&#8221;<br \/>pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC\u2026<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:mtr3pwmbnirvyp3robuicd57\/post\/3mrs6rvxp722t?ref_src=embed\">[image or embed]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 David Corn (<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:mtr3pwmbnirvyp3robuicd57?ref_src=embed\">@davidcorn.bsky.social<\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:mtr3pwmbnirvyp3robuicd57\/post\/3mrs6rvxp722t?ref_src=embed\">July 29, 2026 at 10:58 AM<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"bluesky-embed\" data-bluesky-uri=\"at:\/\/did:plc:nzcmf4wpvos6cf4undpdoujj\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mrsnawtewc2q\" data-bluesky-cid=\"bafyreih35cqyvwwtfopy5lbx62q7ps2w2iqbfqiwuviq7keu45aaa6echu\" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode=\"system\">\n<p lang=\"en\">Rand Paul doesn&#8217;t belong in the Senate. He belongs in a Montana cabin writing manifestos on the insides of ripped open Slim Jim boxes.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:nzcmf4wpvos6cf4undpdoujj\/post\/3mrsnawtewc2q?ref_src=embed\">[image or embed]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Middle Age Riot (<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:nzcmf4wpvos6cf4undpdoujj?ref_src=embed\">@middleageriot.bsky.social<\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:nzcmf4wpvos6cf4undpdoujj\/post\/3mrsnawtewc2q?ref_src=embed\">July 29, 2026 at 3:17 PM<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"bluesky-embed\" data-bluesky-uri=\"at:\/\/did:plc:skl2s4plzkuiz4qoozt3xdyo\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mrtankggj22h\" data-bluesky-cid=\"bafyreigccnxhow27smzwyzqxcqufmpkcklxfqpbabfhebsiwvelrabts4y\" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode=\"system\">\n<p lang=\"en\">If Trump had handled COVID properly, IMO he would have won the 2020 election in a landslide.<br \/>Instead he was hoping and praying Covid would kill off The Blacks and the Messicans and Mooslims in large numbers and telling people to inject themselves with bleach and drink fish tank cleaner.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:skl2s4plzkuiz4qoozt3xdyo\/post\/3mrtankggj22h?ref_src=embed\">[image or embed]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Veronica McDonald (<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:skl2s4plzkuiz4qoozt3xdyo?ref_src=embed\">@veronicamcdonald.bsky.social<\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:skl2s4plzkuiz4qoozt3xdyo\/post\/3mrtankggj22h?ref_src=embed\">July 29, 2026 at 9:04 PM<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><!--<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/02\/22-rdf-syntax-ns#\"\n\t\t\txmlns:dc=\"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/elements\/1.1\/\"\n\t\t\txmlns:trackback=\"http:\/\/madskills.com\/public\/xml\/rss\/module\/trackback\/\">\n\t\t<rdf:Description rdf:about=\"https:\/\/balloon-juice.com\/2026\/07\/30\/the-gops-fauci-inquisition\/\"\n    dc:identifier=\"https:\/\/balloon-juice.com\/2026\/07\/30\/the-gops-fauci-inquisition\/\"\n    dc:title=\"Miscreants Open Thread: The GOP&#8217;s Fauci Inquisition\"\n    trackback:ping=\"https:\/\/balloon-juice.com\/2026\/07\/30\/the-gops-fauci-inquisition\/trackback\/\" \/>\n<\/rdf:RDF>-->\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2026I imagine he thought he was the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.Like, the answer to &#8216;why was Fauci so in the public eye?&#8217; was very obviously that the Trump administration was incapable of handling basic press conferences, including the president himself. [image or embed] \u2014 &#8220;Online Rent-a-Sage&#8221; Bret Devereaux (@bretdevereaux.bsky.social) [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":359389,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[111000,11861,180816],"tags":[2633,50219,110943,180821,1993,180820,1224,8571],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-359388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-covid-19","category-healthcare","category-republican-venality","tag-balloon","tag-fauci","tag-gops","tag-inquisition","tag-juice","tag-miscreants","tag-open","tag-thread"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Balloon Juice - Miscreants Open Thread: The GOP&#039;s Fauci Inquisition - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Balloon Juice - Miscreants Open Thread: The GOP&#039;s Fauci Inquisition - Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u2026I imagine he thought he was the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.Like, the answer to &#8216;why was Fauci so in the public eye?&#8217; was very obviously that the Trump administration was incapable of handling basic press conferences, including the president himself. [image or embed] \u2014 &#8220;Online Rent-a-Sage&#8221; Bret Devereaux (@bretdevereaux.bsky.social) [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-31T01:52:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/tunchiswatching.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2048\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1536\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a66cfe5cdcbceba9b5562fe085bcaba4\"},\"headline\":\"Balloon Juice &#8211; Miscreants Open Thread: The GOP&#8217;s Fauci Inquisition\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-31T01:52:38+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388\"},\"wordCount\":995,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/tunchiswatching.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Balloon\",\"Fauci\",\"GOPs\",\"Inquisition\",\"Juice\",\"Miscreants\",\"Open\",\"Thread\"],\"articleSection\":[\"covid-19\",\"Healthcare\",\"Republican Venality\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388\",\"name\":\"Balloon Juice - Miscreants Open Thread: The GOP's Fauci Inquisition - Som2ny Network\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/tunchiswatching.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-31T01:52:38+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/tunchiswatching.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/tunchiswatching.jpg\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":1536},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?bp_activities=1\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Balloon Juice &#8211; Miscreants Open Thread: The GOP&#8217;s Fauci Inquisition\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/\",\"name\":\"Som2ny Network\",\"description\":\"Daily Deals\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Som2ny Network\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4a0953c4-logo-300x86-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4a0953c4-logo-300x86-1.png\",\"width\":300,\"height\":86,\"caption\":\"Som2ny Network\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a66cfe5cdcbceba9b5562fe085bcaba4\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/729ae85bf62b9917e93538db2f2688ca?s=96&r=g&default=https%3A%2F%2Fsom2nypost.com%2Fwp-content%2Fplugins%2Fbuddypress-first-letter-avatar%2Fimages%2Fdefault%2F96%2Flatin_a.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/729ae85bf62b9917e93538db2f2688ca?s=96&r=g&default=https%3A%2F%2Fsom2nypost.com%2Fwp-content%2Fplugins%2Fbuddypress-first-letter-avatar%2Fimages%2Fdefault%2F96%2Flatin_a.png\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Balloon Juice - Miscreants Open Thread: The GOP's Fauci Inquisition - Som2ny Network","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Balloon Juice - Miscreants Open Thread: The GOP's Fauci Inquisition - Som2ny Network","og_description":"\u2026I imagine he thought he was the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.Like, the answer to &#8216;why was Fauci so in the public eye?&#8217; was very obviously that the Trump administration was incapable of handling basic press conferences, including the president himself. [image or embed] \u2014 &#8220;Online Rent-a-Sage&#8221; Bret Devereaux (@bretdevereaux.bsky.social) [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388","og_site_name":"Som2ny Network","article_published_time":"2026-07-31T01:52:38+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2048,"height":1536,"url":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/tunchiswatching.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a66cfe5cdcbceba9b5562fe085bcaba4"},"headline":"Balloon Juice &#8211; Miscreants Open Thread: The GOP&#8217;s Fauci Inquisition","datePublished":"2026-07-31T01:52:38+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388"},"wordCount":995,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/tunchiswatching.jpg","keywords":["Balloon","Fauci","GOPs","Inquisition","Juice","Miscreants","Open","Thread"],"articleSection":["covid-19","Healthcare","Republican Venality"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388","url":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388","name":"Balloon Juice - Miscreants Open Thread: The GOP's Fauci Inquisition - Som2ny Network","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/tunchiswatching.jpg","datePublished":"2026-07-31T01:52:38+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/tunchiswatching.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/tunchiswatching.jpg","width":2048,"height":1536},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=359388#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?bp_activities=1"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Balloon Juice &#8211; Miscreants Open Thread: The GOP&#8217;s Fauci Inquisition"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/","name":"Som2ny Network","description":"Daily Deals","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#organization","name":"Som2ny Network","url":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4a0953c4-logo-300x86-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4a0953c4-logo-300x86-1.png","width":300,"height":86,"caption":"Som2ny Network"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a66cfe5cdcbceba9b5562fe085bcaba4","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/729ae85bf62b9917e93538db2f2688ca?s=96&r=g&default=https%3A%2F%2Fsom2nypost.com%2Fwp-content%2Fplugins%2Fbuddypress-first-letter-avatar%2Fimages%2Fdefault%2F96%2Flatin_a.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/729ae85bf62b9917e93538db2f2688ca?s=96&r=g&default=https%3A%2F%2Fsom2nypost.com%2Fwp-content%2Fplugins%2Fbuddypress-first-letter-avatar%2Fimages%2Fdefault%2F96%2Flatin_a.png","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/som2nypost.com"],"url":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=359388"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359388\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/359389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=359388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=359388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=359388"},{"taxonomy":"dealstore","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fdealstore&post=359388"},{"taxonomy":"offerexpiration","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fofferexpiration&post=359388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}