Fauci criticized after downplaying individual rights in name of 'societal safety': 'Rantings of a tyrant'

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Dr. Anthony Fauci raised eyebrows again this week after arguing some Americans have a "misplaced perception" about their individual rights when it comes to "societal safety" during the coronavirus pandemic.

When he was a member of former President Donald Trump's White House coronavirus task force, Fauci said he was "shocked" that the president tweeted he wanted Michigan and Virginia to be "free" shortly after they had discussed what Fauci thought was a solid plan to stem the rate of infections.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, responds to questions by Senator Rand Paul during the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on July 20, 2021. (Photo by J. Scott Applewhite / POOL / AFP) (Photo by J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)  ((Photo by J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images))

"I didn't quite understand what the purpose of that was except to put this misplaced perception about people’s individual right to make a decision that supersedes the societal safety," Fauci said on "CBS Mornings."

Fauci's detractors revisited their criticisms that the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is borderline tyrannical at times in the name of public safety.

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"These are the rantings of a tyrant who finds the Constitution inconvenient to his whims," Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said.

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Other users were too distracted by Fauci's outfit to comment on his remarks.

White House Chief Medical Adviser Anthony Fauci reacts while answering questions during the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing on "Next Steps: The Road Ahead for the COVID-19 Response" on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 4, 2021. (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)

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Fauci has previously argued that societal safety supersedes individual freedoms, such as when he told South Dakotans that, for the good of their neighbors, they should not attend the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. 

"There comes a time when you're dealing with a public health crisis, that could involve you, your family, and everyone else that something supersedes that need to do exactly what you want to do," Fauci said on "Meet the Press" in August.

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 04: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky (L) and NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci arrive ahead of testifying before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee about the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on November 04, 2021. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (Chip Somodevilla)

He has also appeared to discourage attendance of college football games, saying it was "unfortunate" that the sporting events could potentially become super spreaders.

Fauci was also forced to clarify his controversial Christmas comments last month on CBS's "Face the Nation" after he said it was "too soon" for families to consider celebrating in person. Following backlash, he argued on CNN that his words were "taken completely out of context" and encouraged people to have a "good, normal Christmas" with their loved ones.