A post shared on Facebook claims National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci endorsed abolishing the Second Amendment.
Verdict: False
A spokesperson for NIAID confirmed the claim is false. The story originated on a satire website.
Fact Check:
The post claims, “Fauci Endorses Abolishing 2nd Amendment,” presumably referring to the director of NIAID, who also serves as President Joe Biden’s chief medical advisor. The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution enshrines the right of Americans to “keep and bear Arms.”
There is no evidence Fauci has recommended or publicly supported the abolishment of the amendment. Such a claim doesn’t appear in Dr. Fauci’s recent articles and publications, nor his most recent public statements, both of which are available on the NIAID website. Likewise, there are no reports from credible news outlets such as The New York Times and USA Today that attribute such a claim to Fauci.
NIAID confirmed to Check Your Fact in an email that the claim about Fauci endorsing the abolishment of the Second Amendment is false. (RELATED: Has Dr. Anthony Fauci Recommended 4 COVID-19 Vaccine Shots Per Year?)
A keyword search revealed the alleged quote stems from a Feb. 17 article published by Real Raw News (RRN) titled “Fauci Endorses Abolishing 2nd Amendment.” The article claims Fauci met with several government officials, including Vice President Kamala Harris, to allegedly discuss connections between suicide by firearms and “pandemic depression.” RRN includes a disclaimer on its website that states it contains “humor, parody, and satire.”
Fauci has been the subject of misinformation since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Check Your Fact previously corrected a claim from December 2021 that alleged he advocated for Americans to receive four COVID-19 vaccine shots each year.
