'The View' gives Fauci a pass over coronavirus comments, claims he was 'hero' of the pandemic
Fauci was forced to clarify after stating the US was 'certainly ... out of the pandemic phase' of the coronavirus
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The co-hosts of ABC's liberal daytime gabfest "The View" gave Dr. Anthony Fauci a pass Thursday after he was forced to clarify comments he made earlier in the week that the U.S. was "certainly" out of the "pandemic phase" of the coronavirus.
"We are certainly right now in this country out of the pandemic phase," Dr. Fauci said during a Tuesday interview with PBS NewsHour, before clarifying the next day on an NPR podcast that he "probably should have said the acute component of the pandemic phase," and that the pandemic was "still here."
During The View's opening segment, which continued its constant criticism of former President Donald Trump's administration, co-host Joy Behar excused Fauci's "walk back," saying that "science evolves and changes," as co-host Sunny Hostin declared him a "hero" of the pandemic.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dr. Anthony Fauci (Getty Images)
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Behar began the segment by criticizing Dr. Deborah Birx, the former White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator under Trump, and comparing her to Dr. Fauci, who she admitted caused messaging troubles for the Biden administration with his pandemic remarks.
"The Biden administration is also having trouble staying on message with the experts after Dr. Fauci had to walk back his assessment of the state of the pandemic," she said before playing a video clip of Fauci's comments on PBS.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Fauci clarified that we're in a different moment of the pandemic. You know, science evolves and changes," Behar said, leading the co-hosts in criticism of Birx's performance under Trump.
Comedian Joy Behar arrives for "A Celebration of Barbara Walters Cocktail Reception" in New York May 14, 2014. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
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Hostin and co-host Sara Haines praised Fauci's performance throughout the pandemic amid their criticism of Birx, specifically pointing to what they called his willingness to "speak up" when he felt Trump was giving incorrect information.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"There were very few heroes in this pandemic, I noticed. Very few," Behar later claimed.
"I think Fauci was one of them," Hostin responded.
"Fauci, we at least can follow him," Behar agreed. "He changes things, but that's science, you know?"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.