Right-wing Senator exploits leaked texts to smear Fauci over mRNA vaccine safety
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Sen. Ron Johnson, known for his anti-science rhetoric, has released selective excerpts from Dr. Anthony Fauci’s government phone, attempting to manufacture controversy by suggesting Fauci privately worried about mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and miscarriages—despite overwhelming scientific consensus on vaccine safety.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., a frequent critic of public health measures, is once again fueling misinformation by publicizing a set of cherry-picked text messages from Dr. Anthony Fauci’s former HHS iPhone. Johnson claims the messages indicate that Fauci, the former top health official, privately expressed concerns that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines might be associated with miscarriages in early pregnancy. This move comes as part of a politically motivated Senate investigation into Fauci’s communications while he was director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases—a clear attempt to undermine trust in science and public health officials.
The messages, dated January 2021, show Fauci engaging in responsible scientific discourse with then-CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky and Dr. Vivek Murthy, raising theoretical questions about cytokine responses and fever after a second vaccine dose and their possible connection to miscarriage risk in the first trimester. Such discussions are standard in scientific practice, reflecting due diligence rather than evidence of harm.
"I asked around a bit more and another issue came up that you need to be aware of," Fauci wrote. "Since many people have significant cytokine storm and fever after the 2nd dose, this theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester."
Johnson, ignoring the broader scientific context and the overwhelming evidence supporting vaccine safety for pregnant people, contrasted Fauci’s private scientific inquiry with public guidance that encouraged vaccination of pregnant women. He cited a 2021 New England Journal of Medicine study, misrepresenting the data by claiming an 82% miscarriage rate among a small subgroup, a calculation widely debunked by medical experts and fact-checkers.
The senator, whose investigation is ongoing, continues to search for supposed discrepancies between private remarks and public statements, further stoking public distrust. His actions undermine transparent information and the collective effort to protect public health. The law firm representing Dr. Fauci has not responded to these politically charged allegations.