The Daly Weekly (7/31)

Anthony Fauci, Laura Ingraham, Zohran Mamdani, and more.

Hi everyone.

Welcome to this week’s Daly Weekly, where I answer whatever questions you throw my way.

Before we get started this week, I’d like to invite you all to Reagan Caucus Action’s new Substack. I co-host their weekly podcast, on which we feature a different guest every week to discuss numerous issues from a Reaganite perspective.

It’s totally free, and you can sign up here (I hope you do):

Now, let’s get to your questions…

---

John: One of the good things that came out of North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico) hosting the World Cup is the number of foreign visitors mixing with locals. Call it a warm fuzzy or a feelgood, but almost all reported loving the interaction. The same goes for regular folks enjoying the Great American Road Trip this summer. Is there hope for America if we can just get out of the political class, off of Tic Toc, and into genuine human interaction? — Steve R.

I too enjoyed the mingling of cultures, and watching visitors to our country enjoy a heaping helping of American exceptionalism. I’m reminded often that America is so much better than the boobs who represent us in political office. Then again, it’s us Americans who keep electing those boobs.

What did you think about Laura Ingraham making faces behind Dr. Fauci throughout his congressional hearing? — Alex D.

Ingraham is always in actress mode — always (whenever she’s on camera, anyway). What made this performance particularly pitiful is that Ingraham has a long history of claiming that other people are “acting” during congressional hearings when they express any kind of emotion. She even said that about January 6 police officers, one of whom almost died at the hands of rioters. She really is an embarrassment.

So as I noticed you reposted a take from Issac Saul on it, what’s your take on the recently released Fauci emails? I read a few of them (mostly the ones from in the early months of the pandemic) and my general impression was that (1) Wow, this guy has a massive ego, surprised both his head and Trump’s could fit in the same room and (2) He really was scrambling and trying in good faith to figure out what was really going on and come up with ways to fight the pandemic.

Even Point 1 is caveated by the fact that doing comms on COVID actually was his job for much of the pandemic. So of course he would document what news channels and podcasts he went on. I was actually impressed at the ideological breath of his press hits. I also read a few of the Biden-era emails where he seemed to really have let the fame go to his head, and also seemed to be in CYA mode to some extent. But I certainly don’t think they exposed any villainous criminal plot to cover up The COVID Lab Leak on his part, either. — Aylene W.

Hi Aylene. I was kind of hoping no one would ask me about this, because I haven’t paid sufficient attention to the story — as of yet, anyway. But I’ll do my best…

Let me start by saying that during the pandemic, I had a pretty nuanced view of Dr. Fauci. I never believed him to be evil incarnate (like many on the Right did), nor did I think he was our saint and savior (like many on the Left did). My broad assessment was that he was an expert in the field (with a strong reputation) who came across as calm, measured, and knowledgeable during a time when Americans were absolutely desperate for that.

Prior to Fauci became the face of the U.S. government response to the pandemic, the federal government’s public relations efforts were a hot mess. No one seemed to be on the same page, Trump didn’t seem to be taking any of it seriously (many of us still remember those insane press conferences), and Americans were understandably confused and afraid. Fauci presented himself as the adult in the room, he gave answers that made sense, and it made him an unlikely cultural icon.

But as we would find out, he was a proponent of the “noble lie” (on things like mask use), which damaged public trust. His advisement to elected leaders (people forget he was an advisor, not a public-policy maker) erred on the side of overprotection — sometimes to a ridiculous degree. After a while, I think his role probably should have been filled by someone else.

Anyway, as for the diary revelations, I mostly agree with your assessments (including him being caught up in his newfound celebrity status at the time). But, from what little I’ve read, I do have concerns about Fauci’s conflict of interest in determining the origins of Covid-19. I think it’s fair to say that, at minimum, he was too dismissive of the Wuhan lab theory. What I don’t know is whether that dismissiveness was a conscious effort to save face (or an act of denial), being that Fauci’s agency helped fund the lab. I thought the origin of Covid-19 was important then, and I still think it is (for a number of reasons).

Please make sense of just what the H is going on in New York City. I’m so glad I don’t live there. They have a pro antisemitism, anti Israel, Mayor, in a city with the country’s largest population of Jews. And I just heard today where a third of them actually voted for Mandani. How is that possible. And then he comes out publicly and threatens to have Netanyahu arrested as a war criminal, which was foolhardy. He’s stoking hate and division by the day. And where is Chuck Shumer’s voice. As a Jew himself, where is his moral compass, AND LEADERSHIP. — Rob O.

Hi Rob. I think, especially in the political era we’re currently in, a lot of people tend to latch onto one central thing they like about a politician (often their personality or a populist message), become far too emotionally invested in that person (to the point that it becomes part of their identity), and then twist themselves into pretzels rationalizing their support for that individual (even in the face of that individual’s indefensible positions, decisions, and conduct).

Case in point, I think most of Mamdani’s supporters would swear up and down (and even convince themselves) — no matter what he says or does — that his opposition is to certain decisions being made by Israel’s government, and not something more deeply rooted. Those outside of their orbit can tell them all day long that they’re deluded and only fooling themselves, and it won’t make a lick of difference to them.

Someone like Schumer (a teammate of sorts) could be more successful, but again — in this political era — very few people are willing to stand up and tell their own team hard truths, because they fear being booted out of the team and out of power.

In case it isn’t clear from how I answered that question, it’s not just a problem on the Left.

Hello Sir John— Do you have any thoughts on the Nolan Wells mystery/tragedy and how Benjamin Crump and the family are handling the case? —“Robert Stack” Regards from The Emperor

I don’t have any thoughts on this, Emperor, because I haven’t paid any attention to the case at all. Sorry!

I listened to your interview with Scott English (Mark Sanford’s former chief of staff), and was surprised to learn he stuck by Sanford and continued working for him even after Sanford put him through that whole Appalachian Trail mess. If Bernie pulled something like that, would you stick by him? — Ben G.

Bernie can’t walk the Appalachian Trail because of his ankle bracelet, Ben. So, it would never become an issue.

(I should probably add that that’s a joke, lol).

---

Thanks everyone! You can send me questions for next week by leaving a comment in the comment section.