‘They are theatre.’ Rand Paul challenges Fauci on mask wearing.
Rand Paul questioned the need for vaccinated people to wear masks during a Senate hearing on Thursday where he sparred with the nation’s most visible physician, Dr. Anthony Fauci.
“There is no evidence that there are significant reinfections after vaccine. In fact, I don’t think we have a hospitalization in the United States after the two week period after the second vaccination,” Paul, who is an ophthalmologist, insisted.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance is that people still should wear masks in public settings even if they’ve already had the coronavirus. Paul, who contracted Covid-19 last March, is usually the only senator who does not wear a mask inside the U.S. Capitol and on the Senate floor.
“You’re defying everything we know about immunity by telling people to wear masks who have been vaccinated. Instead you should be saying, ‘There is no science to say we’re going to have a problem,’” Paul said.
Fauci, who is President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, vehemently disagreed with Paul, lauding the importance of face coverings to reduce the chances of even the rarest cases of reinfection.
“Let me just state for the record that masks are not theatre. Masks are protective,” Fauci said.
“Mass immunity, they are theatre,” Paul interrupted. “If you already have immunity you are wearing a mask to give comfort to others. You’re not wearing a mask because of any science.”
Fauci replied, “I totally disagree with you.”
The tit-for-tat occurred during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, but could be a prelude of a larger national debate to come later this spring or summer when most of the American population achieves vaccination.
After the exchange, Democrat Charles Booker, who is seriously contemplating a challenge to Paul tweeted: “Every day, Rand Paul says something stupid. Please, keep wearing your mask.”
This story was originally published March 18, 2021 at 2:24 PM with the headline "‘They are theatre.’ Rand Paul challenges Fauci on mask wearing.."
