Rand Paul and Ron DeSantis Criticize Fauci Following Former ABC News Correspondent's Comments

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) criticized Anthony Fauci after a clip of former ABC News correspondent Terry Moran discussing Fauci's influence on COVID-19 coverage circulated on social media. In a podcast, Moran recounted an incident in early 2021 where a story he prepared about the origins of COVID-19 was altered following a legal review that he attributed to Fauci. Moran expressed frustration over the changes made to his piece, stating it was incomprehensible and filled with legal caveats. DeSantis labeled the situation as a 'pathetic indictment of ABC News,' while Paul suggested that Fauci's influence extended to editorial control at the network. Recently, Fauci has faced scrutiny for his handling of the pandemic, particularly after invoking his Fifth Amendment rights multiple times during a Senate hearing led by Paul. Additionally, text messages released between CDC Director Rochelle Walensky and Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy indicated discrepancies in Fauci's public and private assessments regarding the COVID-19 vaccine's safety for pregnant women. Moran also acknowledged a bias in ABC News against pro-Trump perspectives, stating in a Substack essay that the network often omitted such viewpoints. He was dismissed from ABC News in June 2025 for violating its news policies.