Madison Cawthorn says GOP will 'put Anthony Fauci in jail' if they take the House

In recent months, Republicans have outlined some of the things they plan to do if they win a majority in the House of Representatives in 2020, including shutting down or redirecting the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol insurrection, stripping Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) of his committee assignments, and investigating conspiracy theories about Hunter Biden's laptop.

At a political event, Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) suggested one other thing he would like his caucus to do if they take power: imprison National Institutes of Health official Dr. Anthony Fauci.

"I believe when we take the House back, we're going to put Anthony Fauci in jail," he said, to applause from Republicans in attendance.

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Cawthorn did not elaborate how this would happen, as the House doesn't have the power to put people in jail, beyond an old, little-used power that lets the Sergeant-at-Arms deliver an uncooperative witness to the House for questioning.

Fauci, the head of the Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, has been a key adviser to Biden and former President Donald Trump before him on the COVID-19 pandemic. He has become a target of hatred for the far right for advocating masking guidelines and other precautions they have characterized as assaults on their freedom.