GOP obsessed with Fauci because he’s a symbol of their ‘attack on science’: Bush strategist

On CNN Thursday, former George W. Bush campaign strategist Matthew Dowd highlighted why Republicans have been so fixated on demonizing National Institutes of Health expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, as Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) did at a congressional hearing earlier in the day.

"This is far from the first time we've seen Republicans try to beat up on Dr. Fauci," noted anchor Erin Burnett. "They love these moments. We saw it from Jim Jordan (R-OH) today and Rand Paul (R-KY) not long ago. That's how it's been. Why is the GOP so obsessed with going after Dr. Fauci?"

"Well, I think this is fundamentally about the attack on science and data, and if it doesn't agree from many of the GOP perspective as science or data or knowledge or information doesn't agree with basically their emotional stand, they want to ignore it," said Dowd. "And I think that's the problem, I think, Dr. Fauci has here, because Dr. Fauci is trying to take a rational approach against people who have an emotional place in this."

"The idea that this is about liberty and freedom, that somehow wearing masks — I would ask Jim Jordan, does he wear a seatbelt? Did he get his kids vaccinated when they went to school?" added Dowd. "All of these things have nothing to do with liberty or freedom, but that's where we are when we have reason and rationality on one side and emotional reactions and ideology on the other."

Watch below:

Matthew Dowd on GOP obsession against Dr. Anthony Fauciwww.youtube.com