Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a key player in guiding the US response to Covid-19, enjoyed a pleasant day at the ballpark on Thursday, where he threw the ceremonial first pitch of the MLB opening day game between the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals. His throw was wildly off-target, sparking near-unanimous mockery of his baseball skills on Twitter. But he received equally ferocious criticism for his coronavirus etiquette while watching the game from the stadium's empty bleachers (fans have been banned from attending games, a policy which Fauci strongly advocated for).
Comment: Since baseball games in the US aren't open to the public, then this must mean Fauci doesn't see himself as a member of the public.
Photographs caught Fauci sitting between two people with his mask on his chin. The grinning doctor appears to be having a great time, even though the photographic evidence suggests that he violated his own social distancing and mask-wearing guidelines.
Social media backlash was swift and unforgiving.
"Showing us all he knows exactly how well masks work! Thanks for the lesson, doc," quipped writer and former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson, who has repeatedly pointed to studies and data which cast doubt on the efficacy of widespread public mask use.
Comment: The public is rightfully angry at this narcissistic hypocrite telling everyone how to live their lives, while he himself does whatever he pleases in stark contrast to his dictates to everyone else. See also: