Senator Rand Paul engaged in a tense back and forth with Dr. Anthony Fauci during Thursday’s Senate hearing in which Paul accused Fauci of wearing double masks for “theater” because there’s no threat of spreading the virus once someone is vaccinated.
Senator Paul, a doctor himself, pushed Dr. Fauci on why the need to continue pushing for mask wearing once someone is immune from the virus either via getting it or receiving the vaccine. The senator repeatedly asked for the scientific study or evidence showing that immune people were still a risk of spreading the virus.
Dr. Fauci responded by saying there are strains and variants of the virus that the current vaccine may not fully protect against, to which Senator Paul responded that the strains he’s referring to are not a threat here in America and that Fauci was wanting to keep “the nanny state” around based on pure “conjecture” that a strain might come to America and cause problems.
“You have the vaccine and you’re wearing two masks, isn’t that theater?” Senator Paul said. “Here we go again, with the theater,” Dr. Fauci replied.
Senator Paul also pointed out that by telling people to continue wearing masks even after they get vaccinated, Dr. Fauci is actually de-incentivizing people to get the vaccine in the first place.
The pair ended up disagreeing on the main premise, with Senator Paul ending his questioning saying there is “no science” to back up continued mask wearing after vaccination.