Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich expressed concerns recently over longtime National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases head Dr. Anthony Fauci’s “cognitive impairment,” claiming that the once outstanding immunologist has been deteriorating as of late.
Appearing on Fox News Primetime on Wednesday, the segment began with Gingrich focusing on Fauci’s interview with McClatchy, in which the doctor warned about the delta variant and how the country’s COVID-19 infections could double within weeks to 200,000 cases a day.
In response, Gingrich explained why he believed Fauci should retire.
Referring to Fauci as having been “one of the most important scientists in the world,” the former Republican leader lamented “watching his decay” in recent times.
Gingrich also stated that while others are concerned with President Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities, he is more concerned with that of the 80-year-old Fauci’s.
“People worry about President Biden, I worry about Fauci in terms of his cognitive impairment much more than I worry about President Biden,” he said.
Fauci, who serves as the White House chief medical adviser, has come under increasing criticism for his evolving statements concerning the necessary steps to combat the pandemic, including universal masking, as well as about the origins of the coronavirus.
Concerns over Fauci’s mental acuity resemble those over the president’s, which have been a frequent theme of discussion, primarily among conservatives — though Democrats have also acknowledged potential problems on occasion.
Last month, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), formerly the White House physician for both Presidents Obama and Trump, said that he believes President Biden will be forced to resign or be removed.
“I think that he’s either gonna resign, they’re going to convince him to resign from office at some point in the near future for medical issues, or they’re going to have to use the 25th Amendment to get rid of this man right now,” he said. “There’s some serious stuff going on right now.”
He concluded, “This is a national security issue at this point.”
Follow Joshua Klein on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.