Elon Musk, the tech mogul and billionaire behind companies like Tesla and SpaceX, has once again called for the prosecution of Dr. Anthony Fauci, former chief medical advisor to the President. Musk’s latest comments came in a post on X (formerly Twitter), where he tweeted, “My pronouns are still prosecute/Fauci.”
This bold statement was in response to a post by a pro-Trump account, “Insurrection Barbie,” which criticized Fauci’s salary, pension, and alleged royalties from vaccine manufacturers.
Fauci, who retired as the highest-paid federal employee with a salary of $480,654, is also receiving a substantial pension and has an estimated net worth of $11 million.
Additionally, the post argued that taxpayers spent $15 million on his security during the last two years of his tenure. These figures have fueled Musk’s ongoing criticism of Fauci, whom he has accused of misconduct during the pandemic.
This isn’t the first time Musk has targeted Fauci. In 2020, Musk called panic over the pandemic “dumb,” and after acquiring Twitter in 2022, Musk reversed its ban on questioning the origins of COVID-19.
Musk has also claimed that Fauci lied to Congress and was responsible for funding research that led to dangerous consequences. These accusations have been denied by Fauci, who has called such claims “absolutely false and preposterous.”
The calls for Fauci’s prosecution come amid ongoing political debates over the COVID-19 pandemic and its handling. Fauci, who stepped down in December 2022, faced intense scrutiny in 2023 during testimony before a House panel investigating the virus’s origins.
Republican lawmakers have grilled Fauci on allegations that he funded research that created more dangerous strains of the virus and was involved in a potential cover-up of a lab leak.
Musk, who has supported President-elect Donald Trump throughout this election cycle, has not shied away from criticizing Fauci’s role in the government’s response to the pandemic.
Musk’s public support for Trump is evident in his substantial donations to pro-Trump PACs and his rallies on Trump’s behalf in key swing states. Musk has also proposed creating a government efficiency commission if he were to take on a government role, aiming to streamline processes and eliminate regulatory obstacles, particularly those that hinder the approval of fully autonomous electric vehicles.
As the debate continues, the tension between Musk’s outspoken criticism of Fauci and the political implications of his remarks is becoming a significant point of discussion in the lead-up to the new administration.