As director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci became one of the most visible figures in the United States’ response to COVID-19. However, his role during the pandemic later made him a divisive figure, drawing intense scrutiny from Republican-led congressional inquiries.
Now, as Fauci faces a legal battle, Stephen A. Smith has joined the brigade questioning his handling of the pandemic.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith Calls Out Dr. Anthony Fauci
Smith shared a video on X this week, revisiting his own experience with COVID-19. The ESPN personality revealed that despite following the guidance Fauci promoted, he was still fighting for his life.
“I don’t believe this man, at 85 years of age, should be thrown in jail,” he said. “But do I think that he should be embarrassed for the self-adulation that he engaged in? You damn right, I do.”
Dr. Fauci served as the U.S. government’s primary public health voice while officials adjusted guidance around masking, distancing, and quarantine as scientists learned more about the virus. But Smith argued that Dr. Fauci’s recommendations did not appear consistent.
“Masking, six-foot distancing, the closing of businesses, forcing businesses to push those mandates upon people like me and others,” Smith added. “Because I took the vaccine, and I took a booster, and I wore a mask. And we were told, ‘Hey, you ain’t gonna get COVID if you do that.’ And I got COVID. And damn it, it almost killed me.”
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Smith also revealed that his ordeal took a turn for the worse, and he had to stay in the hospital for over three weeks. During that time (2022), he contracted double pneumonia, and the illness became life-threatening, which saw him being left on observation for three hours with no clear answer.
“Those were the longest three hours of my life because I thought it was over,” Smith added. “And I remember I had done exactly what Dr. Anthony Fauci was imploring us all to do.”
Dr. Fauci has also faced criticism over the lockdowns and extended school closures he supported during the COVID-19 pandemic. Critics argue officials failed to fully weigh the long-term educational, economic, and social damage those policies could create.
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At the moment, Fauci is involved in a legal battle over his handling of the pandemic.
Republican lawmakers launched investigations into COVID-19’s origins and examined whether U.S. funding supported research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Fauci has repeatedly rejected those allegations and denied involvement in any wrongdoing.
That scrutiny reached another level in late July 2026, when Fauci received a subpoena to testify before the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
During the hearing, the former NIAID director, who retired in 2022, reportedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right more than 100 times. His lawyers recommended that approach to avoid what they described as a “perjury trap.” They pointed to Sen. Rand Paul’s public pledges to see Fauci “behind bars” and the release of Fauci’s private diary as reasons for concern.
Following Fauci’s refusal to answer questions, the Senate committee voted along party lines on August 6 to hold him in contempt of Congress. The panel then referred the matter to the Justice Department, potentially opening the door to criminal prosecution.
However, the vote does not automatically mean Fauci will face charges.
Former President Joe Biden issued Fauci a preemptive pardon on January 19, 2025, covering potential federal offenses committed between 2014 and January 2025. This pardon remains Fauci’s main shield against retrospective federal prosecution.
