MEAN, THAT’S RIDICULOUS.
MARIA: HE’S NOT POLITICAL.
HE’S SCIENCE, REMEMBER.
THAT WAS DR. ANTHONY FAUCI
SAYING HE WILL COOPERATE WITH
EBB REPUBLICAN INVESTIGATIONS
NEXT YEAR.
FAUCI IS DISMISSING GOP
CRITICISM, CLAIMING REPUBLICANS
POLITICIZED THE PANDEMIC.
JOINING ME NOW IS TENNESSEE
CONGRESSMAN AND MEMBER OF THE
HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE,
DAVID KUSOFF.
YOUR REACTION TO ANTHONY TOUCH
EASE.
>> GOOD MORNING, MARIA.
DR. FAUCI DOES HAVE A LOT TO
ANSWER FOR.
IT’S GOING TO BE A PRIORITY FOR
US IN OVERSIGHT IN THE NEXT
CONGRESS.
I CAN REMEMBER EARLY ON IN THE
PANDEMIC, WHEN THE PANDEMIC
STARTED WHEN REPUBLICAN MEMBERS
AND DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS WERE
GATHERED TO GET INFORMATION
ABOUT COVID, DR. FAUCI WAS ASKED
DIRECTLY DO WE NEED TO WEAR
MASKS.
AND I REMEMBER HIS ANSWER
BECAUSE I QUOTED IT A LOT.
HE SAID MASKS DON’T WORK.
HE SAID THE ONLY MASK THAT WOULD
WORK IS AN N-95 MASK.
IT WOULD ONLY WORK IF YOU HAVE
COVID, IT WOULD PREVENT YOU FROM
TRANSMITTING IT, NOT FROM
CONTRACTING IT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF CONTRA CONTRADI
FROM DR. FAUCI EVEN BEFORE THE
PANDEMIC STARTED AND I THINK A
NUMBER OF QUESTIONS.
WHERE DID IT ORIGINATE?
COULD IT HAVE ORIGINATED FROM A
LAB IN CHINA?
DID WE FUND -- DID TAXPAYER
FUNDS GO FOR THAT LAB FOR
FUNDING IN YOU IN WU MAN?
WE’LL-- WUHAN.
WE’LL HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF COVID AND
HOW THINGS HAVE BEEN HANDLED
OVER THE PAST TWO AND-A-HALF TO
THREE YEARS.
MARIA: I WANT TO GET YOUR TAKE
ON THE PROTESTERS ON THE GROUND.
WE DON’T KNOW WHERE THIS IS
GOING BUT SHOULD THE U.S. BE
COMING OUT AND SIDING OR MAKING
A COMMENT FOR THE PEOPLE OF
CHINA?
WE NEVER HEARD A PEEP OUT OF
THIS ADMINISTRATION WHEN WE SAW
PROTESTERS ON THE GROUND IN IRAN
AND WOMEN WERE KILLED BECAUSE
ONE WOMAN KILLED BECAUSE SHE
WASN’T WEARING HER SCARF
PROPERLY, THE PROTESTERS
CONTINUE, THEY’RE GOING ON AS WE
SPEAK AND NOW WE’VE GOT UNREST
IN CHINA.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS?
WE DON’T KNOW HOW THIS WILL GO.
WILL IT BE SUCCESSFUL TO TAKE
DOWN XI JINPING?
WILL THIS BE ANOTHER BRUTAL
BLOOD BATH CRACKDOWN AND IS
THERE AN IMPACT TO AMERICA?
>> NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
NUMBER ONE, WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF
BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN AND A NUMBER
OF STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN
PROTESTING, WHO HAVE BEEN
DEMONSTRATING IN CHINA, EVEN
HOLDING UP BLANK PIECES OF
PAPER, AND SO WHAT IS THE
RESPONSE OF PRESIDENT XI?
CERTAINLY I THINK THAT OUR
GOVERNMENT OUGHT TO BE
ENCOURAGING THAT SPEECH IN CHINA
FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO
DEMONSTRATE, WHO WANT TO PROTEST
AGAINST THE LOCKDOWNS.
YOU KNOW, CHINA MADE A CRUCIAL
MISS THE TAKE EARLY ON -- MISTAK
EARLY ON AND THAT IS NOT
ALLOWING OUR VACCINES, THE
VACCINES DEVELOPED IN THE UNITED
STATES AND IN THE WEST FROM
BEING DISTRIBUTED TO THE CHINESE
PEOPLE.
THEY RELIED ON THEIR TECHNOLOGY.
THEIR LOCKDOWNS HAVEN’T WORKED.
THERE’S AN OUTBREAK IN CHINA.
WE NEED TO BE ENCOURAGING THE
PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GIVE THEIR
FREE EXPRESSION ABOUT THE
LOCKDOWNS AND ALL THE OTHER
ISSUES AND GIVE THEM THE
SUPPORT, THAT SUPPORT SHOULD
COME FROM THE U.S. GOVERNMENT.
MARIA: YEAH.
I WOULD THINK SO.
YOU’RE ON HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS.
I WANT TO GET YOUR TAKE ON
ECONOMIC ISSUES LIKE THE BLACK
FRIDAY SUCCESS BUT FIRST HERE’S
LIZ PEEK.
GO AHEAD, LIZ, JUMP IN.
LIZ: GOOD MORNING, CONGRESSMAN.
WHEN YOU’RE QUIZZING ANTHONY
FAUCI, SEEMS TO ME THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE ARE FAIRLY TOLL RENT OF
THE IDEA THAT NO ONE KNEW WHAT
TO DO WITH A BRAND-NEW VIRUS.
WHAT SEEMS TO ME THE MOST
EGREGIOUS HATEFUL THING THAT
FAUCI OVERSAW WAS THE COMPLETE
LOCKDOWN ON DISSENTING OPINION,
ON HOW WE SHOULD TREAT THE
VIRUS, WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION
SHOULD BE ALLOWED ON SOCIAL
MEDIA, ET CETERA.
I HOPE THAT YOUR COMMITTEE WILL
TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THAT TO
ME IS SO UNSCIENTIFIC AND SO
UNAMERICAN, HONESTLY.
I HOPE YOU’LL TALK ABOUT THAT
WITH FAUCI.
>> WELL, I THINK WE WILL.
YOU KNOW, THE FACT OF THE MATTER
IS, THIS WAS BRAND-NEW.
NOBODY KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT.
WHEN DR. FAUCI CAME OUT AS AN
EXPERT WITH ANSWERS, RESPONSES
THAT HE HAD THAT WERE KIND OF
THE END ALL TO BE ALL, TO ME
THAT’S PROBLEMATIC.
FRANKLY --
MARIA: RIGHT.
>> HE WAS WRONG IN THE WAY HE
TREATED HIMSELF, HE CONTRACTED
COVID, HE TOOK THAT MEDICATION,
HAD THE REBOUND COVID.
SO THERE ARE GOING TO BE A LOT
OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WE DID
RIGHT, CERTAINLY WHAT WE DID
WRONG SO THIS NEVER HAPPENS
AGAIN.
MARIA: WELL, LOOK, I MEAN,
CLEARLY THERE ARE A LOT OF OPEN
OF QUESTIONS.
SO WE’LL BE WAITING FOR THOSE
HEARINGS.
I WANT TO GET YOUR TAKE ON WHAT
WE JUST SAW ON BLACK FRIDAY.
TODAY IS CYBER MONDAY.
AMERICANS SPENT A RECORD AMOUNT
OF MONEY, $9 BILLION ONLINE ON
BLACK FRIDAY, ADOBE ESTIMATING
$35 BILLION IN TOTAL CYBER WEEK
SPENDING.
THESE STRONG NUMBERS COUNTERED
BY SOARING INFLATION,
CONGRESSMAN.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE
2023 ECONOMY?
AND HOW WOULD ASSESS WHAT WE’RE
SEEING RIGHT NOW FOR HOLIDAY
SPENDING AND ACTIVITY?
>> WELL, YOU CITED ALL THOSE
FACTS WHICH ARE RIGHT.
THE OTHER THING IS, IS THAT
WE’RE STILL DEALING WITH RAPID
INFLATION AND SO YOU TALK ABOUT
THOSE CONSUMERS THEIR SAVINGS
HAVE BEEN DIMINISHED OVER THE
LAST YEAR TO YEAR AND-A-HALF
BECAUSE OF INFLATION.
THE CREDIT CARD DEBT HAS
INCREASED DRAMATICALLY FOR THESE
PEOPLE.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PEOPLE IN MY
DISTRICT WHO MAY SHOP AT WALMART
AND TWO YEARS AGO THEY WERE
SPENDING THE SAME MONEY ON
ELECTRONICS AND CLOTHING AND A
LOT OF THAT SPENDING HAS MOVED
TO GAS AND GROCERIES.
TO ME THAT’S -- THEY’RE SPENDING
BUT THEIR OVERALL BANK P
ACCOUNTS ARE DIMINISHING AND
UNFORTUNATELY WE’RE SEEING
CREDIT CARD DEBT CONTINUE TO
INCREASE DURING THIS HOLIDAY
SEASON.
MARIA: YEAH.
AND HOW MUCH OF THE REVENUE WAS
ACTUALLY JUST A RESULT OF
INFLATION BECAUSE THAT WAS A
POINT THAT BOB NARDELLI MADE ON
THE SHOW RECENTLY, FORMER CEO OF
HOME DEPOT, A LOT OF THE REVENUE
THAT WE’RE SEEING FOR THESE
RETAILERS WAS ACTUALLY THE
RETAILERS RAISING PRICES WHICH
WE’RE ALL SUFFERING AND FACED
WITH.
IT GREAT TO SEE YOU.
WE’LL BE WATCHING ALL OF THAT.
WE HAVE THE FED MEETING COMING
UP DECEMBER 13 AND 14 TO GIVE US
A CLEARER VIEW OF WHERE THINGS