Biden Salutes ‘True Hero’ Fauci At White House

President Joe Biden celebrated Dr. Anthony Fauci, a divisive former government health official, as a “true hero” at the White House on Sunday.

The shout out took place as Biden delivered remarks during an event to commemorate World Aids Day on the South Lawn, prompting a round of applause from the audience.

JUST IN: President Joe Biden salutes Dr. Anthony Fauci during a World AIDS Day speech.

“And you're a good man. God love you. As my mother would say, God love you, Anthony.”pic.twitter.com/alhLzbsswi

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 1, 2024

“A special thanks to one of the great public health officials. A true hero who had led this fight against HIV/AIDS: Dr. Anthony Fauci,” Biden said. He then gave a hand salute to Fauci and continued: “And you’re a good man. God love you. As my mother would say, God love you, Anthony.”

The comments drew mockery and condemnation from critics of Fauci, some of whom hearkened back to the AIDS epidemic as well as the COVID pandemic, and Biden.

“If you’ve done even a little digging into Fauci’s role in the AIDS crisis then you know he’s absolutely hated by the people who lost loved ones due to his mismanagement of the crisis. He had protestors outside his offices during the crisis too,” conservative activist Robby Starbuck said on X.

“Dementia is tragic,” molecular biologist Richard Ebright responded to Biden in a post to X.

Ebright also said: “Fauci provably violated federal policies on gain-of-function and enhanced potential pandemic pathogen research, provably committed conspiracy to defraud and perjury, and probably is culpable for pandemic that killed 20+ million and cost $25+ trillion.”

Tom Fitton, president of conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch, simply declared: “Fauci should be under criminal investigation.”

Among those who approved what Biden did was Democrat influencer Harry Sisson.

“President Biden praised Dr. Fauci as a ‘a true hero’ today, which is the TRUTH! Dr. Fauci is an American hero, and his contribution to medicine has changed the world for the better. Thank you, Dr. Fauci!” Sisson said on X.

Fauci, a longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), advised former (and future) President Donald Trump Biden before retiring at the end of 2022.

During a CBS interview in June, Fauci hesitated to assess whether Trump was fit to lead, but stated “absolutely” when pressed about Biden — who had not yet dropped out of the 2024 presidential race amid growing concerns about his mental state and electability.