Jim Acosta Slams ‘Fauci Derangement Syndrome’ in Right-Wing Media: It Only Works ‘If You Test Positive for Gullible’

On Sunday, CNN’s Jim Acosta and Brian Stelter discussed right-wing media’s “new villain,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, with Acosta observing that “Fauci Derangement Syndrome” was only a problem for those who tested “positive for gullible.”

Fauci “has become a punching bag for former President [Donald] Trump and his allies,” said Acosta, with a Fox News host “going so far as saying Fauci should be criminally investigated.”

“Some of this is just so goofy,” Acosta said, asking Stelter why he thought right-wing media was going after Fauci.

Stelter said when he saw a Fox News opinion headline that said “arrest Fauci” he “thought someone had gone off the deep end.”

Despite being a registered independent, Stelter continued, Fauci “has become a Republican boogey man,” playing several recent video clips of various Fauci critics attacking him.

“Fauci was trying his best,” said Stelter. “He made mistakes. So did a lot of other people. I think there is this attempt sometimes to only focus on the biggest mistakes or the worst moments someone like Fauci has had in order to cast him as a villain, again partly to make excuses for the former president. That’s my opinion.”

“I don’t recall Fauci telling people to inject themselves with disinfectants,” said Acosta. “This sounds like Fauci Derangement Syndrome.”

It was on Trump’s watch, Acosta added, that most of America’s 600,000 deaths from Covid-19 occurred. “He was downplaying the virus, saying it was going to go away. I mean, to put that record up against Dr. Fauci, there is no competition when it comes to the performance between these two individuals during that period.”

Stelter was right, Acosta remarked, agreeing that the attacks on Fauci were just “to divert attention away from Donald Trump.”

“An attempt to rewrite history,” said Stelter. “It might work, only in right-wing corners.”

“It might work with some,” replied Acosta. “Only if you test positive for gullible.”

Watch the video above, via CNN.

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