Dr. Anthony Fauci asserted during yet another recent media interview that “a lot of what you’re seeing as attacks on me, quite frankly, are attacks on science.” He went on to say, “If you are trying to get at me as a public health official and a scientist, you’re really attacking, not only Dr. Anthony Fauci, you’re attacking science. And anybody that looks at what’s going on clearly sees that.” The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) sounds more like the pope of the “Church of Science” than a genuine scientist.

The fact of the matter is, Flip-Flop Fauci’s “follow the science” trope has been used far too often as a shield to deflect against any criticism of his continuously changing pandemic policy guidance — some of which he has admitted was intentionally misleading. Furthermore, the idea that governmental officials and so-called experts should be immune from criticism is anathema both to a free society and to the principles of sound science and intellectual inquiry.

Senator Rand Paul has been one of the leading critics of Fauci on Capitol Hill. He responded to the NIAID director’s latest dubious assertion by stating, “My complaint with Dr. Fauci is precisely that he doesn’t follow the science. By ignoring the validity of naturally acquired immunity, and consequently not prioritizing the vaccine to individuals not yet infected by COVID-19, thousands of deaths have and will occur when demand for the vaccine outstrips the supply, as we are seeing in India.”

Reason senior editor Robby Soave astutely observes, “‘Science’ is not synonymous with Fauci, or the CDC, or any lone source of authority. Scientific experts routinely disagree on various policies. … Being pro-science does not mean parroting the talking points of the government’s chosen spokesperson. Robust debate and challenge are part of the scientific process.”

Of course, Fauci is keenly aware that debate and challenge are part of the scientific process, which makes his assertion that any criticism of him is criticism of science disingenuous on top of being wrong. Fauci is knowingly conflating his publicly expressed opinions with “science” in an attempt to deflect from the troubling evidence that has come to light. The recently revealed trove of emails shows that he intentionally sought to undercut any attempt to investigate the possibility of COVID having leaked from the Wuhan lab. Republican lawmakers have now called for Fauci’s firing, which likely explains his “I Am Science” nonsense.

Furthermore, Republicans are concerned over possible collusion between Fauci and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to have the social media giant censor certain COVID posts that did not comport with the preferred narrative.

Representatives Jim Jordan and James Comer sent a letter to Zuckerberg requesting access to all documentation of these communications. They write, “In light of Facebook’s … censorship of certain COVID-19 content — including content about the pandemic’s origin — these communications with Dr. Fauci raise the prospect that the federal government induced Facebook to censor certain speech in violation of the First Amendment.”

It’s definitely time to send the Beltway’s highest-paid bureaucrat packing.