# Rand Paul somehow gets AND RELEASES Anthony Fauci's COVID-era diary **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 28, 2026, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973 "2026-07-28T04:37:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2026, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/61 "2026-07-30T23:43:02Z")
Why would we use the AI to validate the AI? The question was whether you’re willing to accept the use of all sources, partisan or not, as part of the review or if you would implicitly rule out anything that came from one and refuse to question anything in the other? I.e. treat both as equally untrustworthy sources, where every statement and quote needs to be evaluated for trustworthiness, independently of every other element. E.g. we might reject the “inerrancy” view of the Bible but that doesn’t mean that the thing is completely useless for historical analysis. You don’t have to accept 100% nor reject 100%, everything can be judged separate from everything else as reason, secondary sources, etc. renders fit. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2026, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/62 "2026-07-30T23:45:01Z")
How is any mention of AI relevant to this thread? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2026, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/63 "2026-07-30T23:45:54Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Why would we use the AI to validate the AI? > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > A little bit of chatting with my AI, though, revealed that Yeah, why indeed? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/64 "2026-07-31T00:27:01Z")
I haven’t been following the details of this closely but I’m struck by the remarkable similarity to the so-called “Climategate” controversy in 2009 when the computer system at the University of East Anglia was hacked and thousand of emails and other documents circulating among climate researchers were stolen. Ultimately, after close and impartial examination, there turned out to nothing untoward or improper there at all – just normal scientific research. But – and this is the similarity with the Fauci case – that didn’t stop unethical liars with an axe to grind – in this case determined climate change deniers – from trying to turn this into the biggest deal they could, allegedly the biggest exposé of scientific malfeasance the world had ever seen!. They did this through a combination of stupidity that led them to misunderstand the scientific method and science terminology, and willful distortion of facts along with outright lying and complete fabrications. All were readily accepted by a sector of the community already predisposed to believe that climate science was fraudulent. ISTM that much the same is happening here, except that in the absence of financial incentives the motivation is less clear, except perhaps grandstanding by Rand Paul and an irratioinal seething hatred for Fauci by the political right. The fact that Trump was directly responsible for the deaths of at least half a million Americans – probably many more – doesn’t seem to concern these morons. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/65 "2026-07-31T00:41:31Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > They did this through a combination of stupidity that led them to misunderstand the scientific method and science terminology, and willful distortion of facts along with outright lying and complete fabrications Same as it ever was. This is the standard process for people infected with the “conspiracy” mindset. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/66 "2026-07-31T00:45:26Z")
I think people were upset with mandates, such as letting loved ones die alone( Janice Dean is a proponent of this) so they need an enemy to take it out on. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/67 "2026-07-31T00:49:40Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > They did this through a combination of stupidity that led them to misunderstand the scientific method These are by and large people who think that changing your mind is the worst thing you can do and shows weakness of character, so if they can demonstrate that scientists changed their mind as we learned more about covid, and policymakers changed their policies in response, this shows some sort of mental weakness and/or conspiracy, and they can make false accusations of hypocrisy where they say “you knew X was wrong (later) but said X was right (earlier) so clearly you’re a liar!” That seems to be the basis of this whole thing. Fauci updated his ideas as the data unfolded, and they’re using that “inconsistency” imply he’s insincere and sinister. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/68 "2026-07-31T01:36:32Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > I think people were upset with mandates, such as letting loved ones die alone( Janice Dean is a proponent of this) so they need an enemy to take it out on. I noticed that Janice Dean does not know about why the 5th amendment need to be used when confronting chicanery. The New York post reported that she accused him of using the pandemic to enrich himself… and I stopped there, because there is really no good evidence that that was the case, one can then safely ignore the rest of what that ignorant said. > **[Fact Check - There is No "Fauci Coverup" | Andersen Lab](https://andersen-lab.com/fact-check-there-is-no-fauci-coverup/)** > > An in-depth Fact Check performed by researchers at FactCheck.org investigated the conspiracy theory put forward by several individuals, including politicians, that Dr. Anthony Fauci gave scientists, including Dr. Andersen, grants worth $9 million to... Multiple congressional investigations have found no evidence linking Fauci to illegal personal financial gain, for sure the congress-critters complained about the money he made legally back then, but no, no evidence of malfeasance. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/69 "2026-07-31T17:56:27Z")
Split this topic on July 31, 2026, 5:56pm UTC A post was merged into an existing topic: [Chatterbox123 Troll posts](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatterbox123-troll-posts/1032057/17) ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/70 "2026-07-31T13:24:26Z")
The issue here is that there **was** indeed discussion about that, **but** most experts now are more in favor of the natural mutation. Point being that the reality is that, there were suggestions that it could had come from a lab, but **the Republicans now do pretend that that change in opinion and that the latest research points elsewhere has never occurred.** > **[On the Controversies Surrounding the Lab-Leak Theory of COVID-19](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12040609/)** > The key principle is that support for any hypothesis must be reserved until it is backed by sufficient scientific evidence. The White House’s recent statement deviates sharply from this principle. For a national government to officially declare a politically convenient theory while scientific uncertainty persists undermines both academic freedom and the pursuit of truth. It is the same antiscience pattern seen from the Republicans in congress in regards to Climate change, vaccines and many other subjects. Timelines/the march of time are always their weakest point, so they willfully ignore it. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/71 "2026-07-31T14:42:44Z")
> [@On another topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1032057/17): > > From what I read, Dr. Fauci wrote in his diary that on a phone call with 11 experts, only 2 expressed any confidence that Covid-19 came from natural origins. > > The other 9 were noncommittal. So, none of them were taking the position it was a lab leak. As we used to say at the time, who cares? It’s the same virus regardless of the origin. I suppose if it was a _deliberate_ leak from a Chinese lab, that would have some implications. But a negligent leak versus a natural origin seems like the same thing from our prospective. I don’t see an obvious motive for deliberately creating a worldwide pandemic. Maybe I don’t get economics and politics though. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/72 "2026-07-31T14:56:05Z")
I agree with that. Even if the source was a lab leak, would that change how we should have responded to the pandemic? And I just saw a Daily Show segment on Dr Fauci’s testimony which showed clips of Fox News talking heads claiming that Fauci overstated the need for isolation, closing schools and so forth. Were that true, wouldn’t we see less of these measures in other countries? As far as I know, every country responded in much the same way. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/73 "2026-07-31T15:01:15Z")
Sweden didn’t really do that too much, but I can’t find anything about their infection rates that isn’t tainted by politics. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/74 "2026-07-31T15:20:24Z")
It was a mixed bag, the biggest failure was mostly in the elderly population front: > **[How did Sweden Fail the Pandemic?](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8436291/)** > > Sweden has since the start of the pandemic a COVID-19 mortality rate that is 4 to 10 times higher than in the other Nordic countries. Also, measured as age-standardized all-cause excess mortality in the first half of 2020 compared to previous years... And to prepare for the future, strong mask enforcement rules are proposed, and other restrictions, but no complete shutdowns. > **[New Pandemic Law Proposal in Sweden May Mandate Face Masks | Sweden Herald](https://swedenherald.com/article/sweden-proposes-new-pandemic-law-without-lockdown-measures)** > > The Government's investigator proposes a new law for future pandemics ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/75 "2026-07-31T22:38:16Z")
New Zealand basically closed their borders, but it would be easier for them to do that than 90% of the other world’s nations. I do think that closing schools was overkill, but hindsight is always 20/20, and maybe things would have been worse later if we hadn’t. I hope we never find out again. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/76 "2026-07-31T22:50:23Z")
Things would have been worse immediately- kids with covid spreading covid around school and to their families at home. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/77 "2026-07-31T23:26:38Z")
Re last post, teachers would not have come in to work, and parents commonly thought as bobot does: > **[Has the Public Turned on Teachers?](https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/has-the-public-turned-on-teachers/2021/01)** > > The rift over when school buildings should reopen has caused teachers to feel like they've lost public support. But have they? The government, whether state or federal, was not out in front on this. They ordered people to do what was already happening. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/78 "2026-07-31T23:44:05Z")
I think it is relevant to the thread that Fauci’s statements concerning zoological origin being highly likely were vindicated by multiple DNA studies released in 2023. The evidence is summarized for laymen here: > **[Tell Me When It's Over by Paul A. Offit MD: 9781426223662 |...](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/739432/tell-me-when-its-over-by-paul-a-offit-md/)** > > From one of the world’s top virologists, the definitive guide to understanding—and navigating—COVID-19. Three years on, COVID is clearly here to stay. So what do we do now? Drawing... This seems to be the most important study that came in after that book went to the press: [Genetic tracing of market wildlife and viruses at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic](https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)00901-2?utm_campaign=Press%20Package&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9IzY0dSnDv64eP7V8dl5mntyXzE8hCGCzPdbVSXg8DCvhqtxISgdzj5L-OXZdUtvkWmOyizA_YOI6NmKa9SLMQiHS2-w&_hsmi=324423428&utm_content=324423428&utm_source=hs_email) So what do we think? Should Dr. Rand Paul be arrested for making false statements to Congress? P.S. In case it isn’t obvious, as a supporter of freedom of speech I do NOT want Paul arrested. I ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/79 "2026-08-01T00:07:19Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > P.S. In case it isn’t obvious, as a supporter of freedom of speech I do NOT want Paul arrested. Defamation is not protected speach. ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Nerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ancient\_Nerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Nerd)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973/80 "2026-08-01T06:13:11Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Defamation is not protected speach. It’s a civil case though, not criminal. E Jean Carrol won an $83 million judgement for defamation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-paul-somehow-gets-and-releases-anthony-faucis-covid-era-diary/1031973.md?page=5)