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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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The Real Anthony Fauci
The Real Anthony Fauci is a 2021 book by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in which he attacks Anthony Fauci and his leadership of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. In the book, Kennedy promotes HIV/AIDS denialism and misinformation about Fauci's role during the HIV epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The book was described as "controversial" by The Guardian and Publishers Weekly and a "conspiracy theory extravaganza" by Science-Based Medicine.

In response, Fauci called the book "unfortunate" and characterized Kennedy as "a very disturbed individual". Of a meeting he had with Kennedy to discuss vaccines early in his tenure with the Trump administration, Fauci would later recall "I don't know what’s going on in his [Kennedy's] head, but it’s not good.”

The book became a New York Times best seller, selling over one million copies.

Publication

The Real Anthony Fauci is a 480-page book written by anti-vaccination conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The book was published by Skyhorse Publishing on November 16, 2021. It includes dustjacket blurbs by Tucker Carlson, Naomi Wolf, Oliver Stone, and Alan Dershowitz.

Synopsis

The book accuses American public health leader Anthony Fauci of 30 years of abuse of power, during both the HIV epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the book, Kennedy accuses Fauci of pulling off "a historic coup d’état against Western democracy" and promotes unproven COVID-19 treatments, including hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin. The author shares his opinion that COVID-19 vaccines are not sufficiently safety tested, and likens vaccine mandates in the United States to living under the rule of Nazi Germany.

The book accuses Fauci of deliberately neglecting to use hydroxychloroquine in order to increase the number of people who would die from COVID-19. Studies show the drug is ineffective against COVID-19. The World Health Organization recommends it not be used for treating or for preventing COVID.

Kennedy also attacks the science of AIDS, spending over a hundred pages quoting HIV denialists such as Peter Duesberg who question the isolation of HIV and the etiology of AIDS. Kennedy refers to the "orthodoxy that HIV alone causes AIDS", and the "theology that HIV is the sole cause of AIDS", as well as repeating the HIV/AIDS denialist claim that no one has isolated the HIV particle and "No one has been able to point to a study that demonstrates their hypothesis using accepted scientific proofs". The scientific consensus is that the evidence showing HIV to be the cause of AIDS is conclusive.

Critical reception

Copies of the book for sale in 2023

The book has sold over one million copies and remained a New York Times best seller for seventeen weeks.

Noting Kennedy's concern about the safety of vaccines, the Associated Press pointed out the Food and Drug Administration's three phases of testing. FactCheck.org says "One of Kennedy’s most common and pernicious false claims is that vaccines are not tested for safety in clinical trials," a claim it calls "overtly false."

Both The Guardian and Publishers Weekly described the book as controversial. Newsweek described the book as "inflammatory". Democratic party State Senator Will Brownsberger described the book as promoting a conspiracy. Medical doctor Theodore Dalrymple accused Kennedy of paranoia, and criticized his writing for containing contradictions, absurdity, falsehoods, needless exaggerations, and seeing "conspiracy everywhere" while lacking objectivity. Dalrymple's fact checking of five scientific papers cited in the book led him to conclude that Kennedy had interpreted each of them incorrectly and therefore misled readers.

Molecular biologist and science communicator Dan Wilson devoted seven episodes of his Debunk the Funk video series to refuting claims in the book. Wilson says that Kennedy "goes full HIV/AIDS denial" and makes "disgusting, hateful, and wrong claims".

Infectious disease specialist Michael Osterholm says that Kennedy's anti-vaccine disinformation is effective "because it's portrayed to the public with graphs and figures and what appears to be scientific data. He has perfected the art of illusion of fact." Osterholm also adds "this is about people's lives. And the consequences of promoting this kind of disinformation, as credible as it may seem, is simply dangerous."

Film

In 2022, Kala Mandrake directed the 111-minute film The Real Anthony Fauci. The Radio Times categorized the film as "crime/detective | fantasy". The film features Kennedy.

See also

References

  1. ^ Bergengruen, Vera (June 14, 2023). "Inside the Very Online Campaign of RFK Jr". Time. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  2. ^ Wilson, Dan (2022). Reviewing "The Real Anthony Fauci". Debunk the Funk. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  3. ^ Gorski, David (October 24, 2022). "The making of COVID-19 "contrarian" doctors". Science-Based Medicine. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  4. ^ Lash, Jolie (December 22, 2021). "Fauci Calls RFK Jr. A 'Very Disturbed Individual' over Career Attacks". The Wrap. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  5. ^ Robertson, Nick (July 2, 2024). "Fauci on RFK Jr.: 'I don't know what's going on in his head, but it's not good'". The Hill. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  6. ^ "The Real Anthony Fauci". Skyhorse Publishing. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  7. ^ Helmore, Edward (January 27, 2022). "Tony Lyons, the US publisher who picks up books 'cancelled' by other presses". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  8. ^ Dorn, Sara (October 10, 2023). "RFK Jr. Launches Independent 2024 Run: Here Are All The Conspiracies He Promotes—From Vaccines To Mass Shootings". Forbes. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  9. ^ Milliot, Jim (March 21, 2023). "Coalition Wants S&S to Not Distribute 'The Real AIDS Epidemic'". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  10. ^ Smith, Michelle R. (December 15, 2021). "How a Kennedy built an anti-vaccine juggernaut amid COVID-19". Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  11. ^ Sánchez, Lily; Robinson, Nathan J. (May 18, 2023). "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a Lying Crank Posing as a Progressive Alternative to Biden". Current Affairs. ISSN 2471-2647. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  12. ^ "The bestselling books in Canada for the week ending Jan. 26, 2022". Toronto Star. January 26, 2022. Archived from the original on February 17, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  13. ^ Kilgore, Ed (May 26, 2023). "Do RFK Jr.'s Supporters Really Know Who He Is?". Intelligencer. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  14. ^ Price, Michael L. (April 6, 2023). "Anti-vaccine activist RFK Jr. challenging Biden in 2024". CTV News. Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  15. ^ Dovere, Edward-Isaac (April 16, 2023). "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. can't count on family support to take on Biden | CNN Politics". CNN. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  16. ^ Fassler, Jeremy (June 18, 2022). "Simon & Schuster will distribute Jan. 6 report with foreword by conspiracy theorist". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  17. ^ Jaramillo, Catalina; Yandell, Kate (August 11, 2023). "RFK Jr.'s COVID-19 Deceptions". FactCheck.org. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  18. ^ "FAQ Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Hydroxychloroquine". World Health Organization. March 28, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  19. ^ Wilson, Dan (May 31, 2022). RFK Jr. Goes full HIV/AIDS denial in his terrible book about Anthony Fauci. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023 – via YouTube.
  20. ^ Institute of Medicine (US) Committee for the Oversight of AIDS Activities (1988). Confronting AIDS: Update 1988. Institute of Medicine of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. doi:10.17226/771. ISBN 978-0-309-03879-9. PMID 25032454. Retrieved May 2, 2024. …the evidence that HIV causes AIDS is scientifically conclusive.
  21. ^ Scully, Matthew (May 16, 2023). "The Real Robert F. Kennedy Jr". National Review. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  22. ^ McDonald, Jessica (August 9, 2023). "FactChecking Robert F. Kennedy Jr". FactCheck.org. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  23. ^ McDade, Aaron (January 4, 2022). "Norman Mailer Anthology Finds New Publisher After Random House Declines". Newsweek. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  24. ^ Brownsberger, Will (January 9, 2022). "'The Real Anthony Fauci'". willbrownsberger.com. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  25. ^ Dalrymple, Theodore (Summer 2022). "What's up Doc?". Claremont Review of Books. Vol. 22, no. 3. pp. 68–69. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  26. ^ Wilson, Dan (March 2, 2022). "Reviewing RFK Jr.'s bad book about Fauci - Introduction". Event occurs at 17:18. Retrieved September 28, 2023 – via YouTube.
  27. ^ Wilson, Dan (May 31, 2022). "RFK Jr. goes full HIV/AIDS denial in his terrible book about Anthony Fauci". Retrieved December 6, 2024 – via YouTube.
  28. ^ "The Real Anthony Fauci (2022)". Radio Times. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  29. ^ "The Real Anthony Fauci (2022)". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
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