Private records indicate that CNN's Jake Tapper and Dr. Anthony Fauci shared meals at Fauci's home during the COVID-19 pandemic. These social events occurred while both men were publicly urging the population to avoid small gatherings to prevent community transmission.
The October 29 dinner amidst 83,000 daily infections
On October 29, 2020, Dr. Anthony Fauci hosted a relaxed dinner at his residence with Jake Tapper and Jennifer Tapper, according to the report. Fauci's own diary described the evening as a "good time," even as the United States was grappling with a massive surge in COVID-19, hitting a single-day record of 83,000 new infections.
A second dinner between the two men occurred in July 2020,preceding the October meeting. This social interaction happened while the United States faced strict pandemic-era restrictions,including bans on funeral mourners and limitations on nursing home visits.. The report notes that these private gatherings stood in direct contrast to the public health climate of the time.
Dr. Robert Redfield’s warnings to the governors
Dr. Robert Redfield, the former director of the CDC, held a conference call with governors on November 10, 2020, to emphasize the dangers of small household gatherings. Redfield specifically highlighted the risks of increased community transmission in states such as Vermont, Washington, and Delaware as the Thanksgiving holiday approached.
The tension between public health mandates and private behavior was heightened by these official warnings. While health authorities were shaming families for holiday gatherings and shutting down small businesses, the report indicates that prominent figures like Tapper and Fauci were engaging in the very types of social interactions being discouraged by the CDC.
Tapper’s basement broadcasts and Fauci’s guided interviews
Jake Tapper conducted his CNN broadcasts from a basement setting during the pandemic, using his platform to reinforce social distancing warnings and criticize the Trump administration's reopening efforts. As the report states, Tapper's media role and Fauci's public health role overlapped in ways that raised questions about professional boundaries.
A connection between the media and public health officials was also evident in a July 2020 interview. Just three weeks after a dinner between the two men, Tapper interviewed Brett Giroir, the coronavirus testing coordinator for the Trump administration. The report alleges that Dr. Anthony Fauci had provided Tapper with specific questions to use when pressing Giroir on testing policies.
The missing response to the Giroir interrogation
Several questions regarding the impact on journalistic impartiality remain unanswered. It is unclear if CNN or Brett Giroir ever formally responded to the allegation that Fauci influenced the line of questioning during the interview. Additionally, the report does not specify if the Tappers or Dr. Fauci ever addressed the perceived double standard regarding their private social gatherings during the height of the infection waves.
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