Selective scolding? Fauci condemns motorcycle rally, stays silent on other gatherings

Aug 10, 2021 at 11:26 AM CDT

Shannon Longworth

fauci Sturgis

As COVID cases continue to rise, about 700,000 people attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally over the weekend, prompting Dr. Anthony Fauci to express concern about the gathering on NBC’s Meet the Press. However, he has remained silent about other recent gatherings, such as Lollapalooza and former President Obama’s 60th birthday party.

Shannon Longworth

Shannon Longworth was an investigative reporter and anchor for Straight Arrow News from 2021 to 2023. She started her career on California’s central coast, then made her way back home working in the sprawling suburbs of New York City

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LONGWORTH: SELECTIVE SCOLDING?

THAT’S WHAT SOME SAY DR. FAUCI IS DOING WHEN IT COMES TO PANDEMIC PRECAUTIONS.

IT ALL STARTED ON SUNDAY WHEN FAUCI APPEARED ON MEET THE PRESS.

AFTER BEING ASKED ABOUT THE 700-THOUSAND-PERSON MOTORCYCLE RALLY IN STURGIS, South DAKOTA.

HE SAID HE WAS VERY CONCERNED IT’D CONTRIBUTE TO ANOTHER SURGE IN CASES.

FAUCI: LET’S GET THIS PANDEMIC UNDER CONTROL BEFORE WE START ACTING LIKE NOTHING IS GOING ON. I MEAN, SOMETHING BAD IS GOING ON.

PEOPLE QUICKLY STARTED SOUNDING OFF ON SOCIAL MEDIA, SAYING THINGS LIKE…

“FAUCI DENOUNCED THE STURGIS MOTORCYCLE RALLY AS A “SUPER SPREADER EVENT”, BUT REMAINED COMPLETELY SILENT ABOUT THE LOLLAPALOOZA OR OBAMA’S HUGE BIRTHDAY PARTY.”

AND CALLING IT A “DOUBLE STANDARD.”

SOME, SAYING FAUCI GAVE PASSES TO THE OTHER GATHERINGS BECAUSE THEY WERE “LIBERAL EVENTS.”

OTHERS ARGUE:

“ATTENDEES AT OBAMA PARTY WERE VACCINATED. LOLLAPALOOZA HAD A VACCINE/TESTING/MASKING POLICY IN PLACE. STURGIS, NOT SO MUCH.”

KEEP IN MIND – NEITHER EVENT HAD NEARLY AS MANY PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE AS THE MOTORCYCLE RALLY DID.

MORE THAN 385,000 PEOPLE WENT TO LOLLAPALOOZA, AND WHILE FORMER PRESIDENT OBAMA’S INITIALLY PLANNED TO HAVE 700 PEOPLE AT HIS PARTY…

HE REPORTEDLY SCALED BACK THOSE INVITES.

NOW, FOR SOME CONTEXT, THERE WERE 200,000 MORE PEOPLE AT THIS YEAR’S MOTORCYCLE RALLY THAN THERE WERE AT LAST YEAR’S.

AND MORE THAN 600 COVID CASES WERE TRACED BACK TO THAT 2020 EVENT.

WE’LL HAVE TO SEE WHETHER THERE ARE SIGNS OF SPREAD THIS TIME.

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHEN IT COMES TO COVID PRECAUTIONS…ARE OFFICIALS UNFAIRLY REPRIMANDING THE RIGHT MORE THAN THE LEFT?

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS.

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