Van Drew Demands Fauci Be Fired Amid COVID Surge

SOUTH JERSEY — U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew on Thursday joined a chorus of GOP voices demanding that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the president's chief medical advisor, should be fired from his post.

Van Drew said Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, "has been wrong time and time again."

Van Drew’s comments come days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shortened the recommended quarantine time for people with COVID-19.

“The CDC originally said you would not be contagious after 14 days, then it was 10 days, and now the CDC says you only have to be quarantined for five days. When will this end?” Van Drew said. “President Biden needs to surround himself with the best team available consisting of researchers, physicians, epidemiologists, and pharmacists. Our people deserve nothing but honesty and transparency from our elected officials and public health officials.”

Van Drew’s statement also comes amid a spike in COVID-19 infections across the state. New Jersey reported 27,975 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, marking its highest single-day case total over the nearly two-year pandemic.

Several other Republicans, including House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and Sen. Marco Rubio, have also called for Fauci to leave his post.

The Biden administration addressed criticism directed at Fauci during a press briefing on Wednesday.

“Dr. Fauci is an extraordinary public servant, as are the whole team of public health care professionals in the federal government, across state and local governments,” said Jeff Zients, White House coronavirus response coordinator.

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