That said, the truth on COVID, and on Anthony Fauci, is in between.
Fauci has lied before, contra many Democrats who still do a blank-check defense.
His original one over mask efficaciousness was perhaps a Platonic noble lie, but at the same time, for setting the stage for the level of tribalism and COVID denialism we're at today, was arguably the worst of his lies. That was followed by a somewhat less Platonic one over herd immunity and vaccine percentages. And, his leaked emails revealed further lies and his reveling over being BlueAnon's St. Anthony of Fauci, as well as showing his decades-long skill at bureaucracy and political infighting. Much more on those emails here.
Shortly after that, on his emails, he started getting more publicly butt-hurt.
Meanwhile, he (and Collins) lied by minority-accepted-only definition on supporting or not supporting gain of function research, which ties directly to Peter Daszak and his EcoHealth Alliance.
And, the lab-leak remains plausible on COVID. That said, contra Republicans, these lab leaks have happened in the US, too, often associated with Peter Daszak and his EcoHealth Alliance.
So, today's latest grilling of Fauci will likely have turned out to once again be Kabuki theater as much as anything. Until EcoHealth gets federal sanctions (which Dems and Team Biden won't support) Daszak won't run a better ship in either the US or China. A lawyered-up Fauci will continue to give buttoned-down answers.
And, the tribalism? Gaslighting Peter Hotez. Cheap-points-scoring American Humanist Association.
There's tribalism on the other side, too. Wenstrup is not running for re-election, so probably not him personally, but the Rand Pauls of the world, yes. See above about how Fauci indirectly fueled some of this.
As for the possibility of a lab leak? Fauci's lies by definition had him also stating that we should continue to fund the then-stonewalling and still-stonewalling Wuhan Institute of Virology. Try defending that one, Ruiz. (Hotez has also gotten gain of function funding.)
As for the possibility of a lab leak? I still support what ProPublica wrote two years ago, and its defense of that. The indefatigable (on COVID ONLY!; he's getting a takedown here next week) Jamie Metzl pushes this even more, along with a blistering call-out of Daszak.
As for more nefarious possibilities? I originally rejected a weaponization idea. I have since let that door open a crack, but still lean against it.
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Testimony takeaways: The biggest, per CNN, is that Fauci threw Daszak under the bus and supports suspending funding for EcoHealth.
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