Anthony Fauci, Francis Collins Shattered Trust in Public Health

The Covid pandemic was devastating, not only for society generally, but also to the reputations of our once-trusted health agencies. Two of America’s once-leading public-health officials bear great responsibility for this debacle — former National Institutes of Health (NIH) director Francis Collins and Anthony Fauci, who led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases between 1984 and 2022.

When the pandemic first struck, I held both in high regard. Collins successfully led the Human Genome Project that sequenced the human genome. Fauci had contributed greatly to ameliorating the AIDS crisis. So, there was reason to trust in their leadership. Alas, both squandered the opportunity.

About the Author

Wesley J. Smith

Wesley J. Smith is an author and a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute’s Center on Human Exceptionalism.

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The Covid pandemic was devastating, not only for society generally, but also to the reputations of our once-trusted health agencies. Two of America’s once-leading public-health officials bear great responsibility for this debacle — former National Institutes of Health (NIH) director Francis Collins and Anthony Fauci, who led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases between 1984 and 2022.

When the pandemic first struck, I held both in high regard. Collins successfully led the Human Genome Project that sequenced the human genome. Fauci had contributed greatly to ameliorating the AIDS crisis. So, there was reason to trust in their leadership. Alas, both squandered the opportunity.