Fauci: ‘Bizarre’ Tucker Carlson would say forcing kids to wear masks outdoors is child abuse

Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, on Wednesday, responded to controversial comments made this week by Fox News host Tucker Carlson in which he suggested parents who make their children wear face coverings are engaging in child abuse. 

“I think that’s self-evident that that’s bizarre,” Fauci said during an appearance on CNN. “I don’t want to get into a back and forth with Tucker Carlson, but it’s almost self-evident.”

“You’re talking about child abuse, really?” Fauci asked of Carlson. “Come on.”

Tucker Carlson claimed that kids wearing masks outdoors suggests child abuse.

Fauci responds: “I think that’s self-evident that that’s bizarre … You’re talking about child abuse, really? Come on.” pic.twitter.com/yr60aAsI6j

— The Recount (@therecount) April 28, 2021

On his nightly program Monday, Carlson urged viewers to call child protective services if they see children wearing face coverings while playing, especially outdoors. 

“As for forcing children to wear masks outside, that should be illegal,” Carlson said. “Your response when you see children wearing masks as they play should be no different from your response to seeing someone beat a kid in Walmart. Call the police immediately, contact child protective services. Keep calling until someone arrives.” 

Carlson compared children wearing face coverings to a hypothetical scenario in which “your kid’s school emailed you and announced that every day after lunch, your sixth-grader was going to get punched in the face by a teacher.” 

“That’s precisely how you should respond when they tell you that your kids have to wear masks on the soccer field. That is unacceptable, it is dangerous, and we should act like it because it is,” he said. 

Fauci, earlier on Wednesday, also shot down comments from podcaster Joe Rogan who suggested young, healthy Americans should not receive a coronavirus vaccination.

“You’re talking about yourself in a vacuum,” Fauci said of Rogan’s remarks. “You’re worried about yourself getting infected and the likelihood that you’re not going to get any symptoms. But you can get infected, and will get infected, if you put yourself at risk.”