Disney ESPN host Stephen A. Smith has blasted Dr. Anthony Fauci and apologized to Kyrie Irving for attacking the NBA star over his refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
On Friday, Smith interrupted his vacation to deliver a nearly 20-minute monologue on The Stephen A. Smith Show. The outspoken commentator said Fauci’s recent appearance before the Senate forced him to reconsider the treatment of athletes who resisted pandemic-era mandates.
Fauci reportedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 111 times while facing questions about the government’s response to COVID-19 and the origins of the virus.
Dr. Anthony Fauci – C-SPAN, YouTube
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“Doesn’t mean that Dr. Fauci was totally wrong just because he pleaded the Fifth 111 times,” Smith said. “It means there’s ground for suspicion.”
Stephen A. Smith Continues His Attack on Fauci
The following Wednesday, Smith continued his blistering attack on Fauci.
“Ladies and gentlemen, as I said, the man pleaded the fifth 111 times,” Smith said. “But they got a hold of his diary. And when you take when you talk about self adulation being taken to a new level, definitely he was guilty of at least that.”
Smith went on to discuss allegations arising from Fauci’s diary, including suggestions that six-foot social-distancing requirements were ineffective. According to Smith, the entries also showed that Fauci had become caught up in his own celebrity.
“And it was embarrassing not only to him, but it was embarrassing to us who took his word as gospel and ignored all the cynicism and the criticism that was coming his way,” Smith said. “We sat back and we bought his stuff, hook, line, and sinker. He was the face of science.”
Smith Describes His Near-Fatal Battle With COVID
After reiterating his apologies to Kyrie Irving and Aaron Rodgers for increasing the scrutiny they faced at the time, Smith stopped short of arguing that Fauci should be sent to prison.
“But do I think that he should be embarrassed for the self adulation that he engaged in? You damn right I do,” Smith said.
Stephen A. Smith speaking during an interview – YouTube, Sundae Conversations
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Smith’s monologue then became strikingly personal.
“I took the vaccine and I took a booster and I wore a mask and we were told, ‘Hey, you ain’t going to get COVID if you do that.” And I got COVID and damn it, it almost killed me,'” Smith said.
The ESPN host recalled spending New Year’s Eve in the hospital with double pneumonia after contracting the virus. According to Smith, his doctor warned that he would likely die if an antibiotic and steroid failed to work. Within three hours of receiving treatment, however, Smith said he was out of danger. He remains deeply thankful that the medication worked.
Smith said he reflected at the time on how he had followed Fauci’s recommendations and still contracted a nearly fatal case of COVID-19.
Smith Breaks With the Pandemic-Era Media Consensus
Stephen A. Smith’s apparent sense of betrayal—and his willingness to speak out against Fauci—represents a significant departure from the certainty that defined much of the mainstream media’s pandemic coverage. Social media personalities such as Joe Rogan faced harsh criticism for questioning the prevailing scientific consensus, while countless users were banned from major platforms for doing far less.
Joe Rogan on The Joe Rogan Experience – YouTube, PowerfulJRE
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Whether Smith will face any personal or professional backlash remains to be seen. As one of the country’s most prominent media personalities, he may simply be too influential to silence.
However, as more information emerges about Fauci and his questionable handling of the pandemic, Smith may be using his enormous platform to express what many people around the world were already thinking.
Are you surprised that Stephen A. Smith blasted Dr. Fauci? Sound off and let us know!
