Dr. Anthony Fauci’s Fifth Amendment-filled testimony before Congress on Wednesday led to some social media grief for Texas Senate candidate James Talarico (D), with conservatives skewering the liberal lawmaker for a resurfaced picture of a Fauci action figure he giddily posted years earlier.
The X post from 2021 showed Talarico holding up a doll of Fauci in front of a Christmas tree. Fauci is seen wearing a white mask and lab coat, which has a stethoscope tucked into it; the box points out Fauci comes with a “removable mask!” and says the toy is for ages 14+, which seems a bit overly cautious.
Talarico was absolutely stoked about his doll.
“I got the coolest action figure for Christmas!” he posted. “Thank you to all the health care superheroes working today. Let’s help by getting vaxxed and boosted!”
He added a Christmas tree emoji and a syringe emoji to his Christmas Day 2021 post.
Talarico’s post turned into a gift for right-wingers on Wednesday, though.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) mocked him for it, while noting Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times during his Senate testimony earlier in the day.
“Apparently accountability was sold separately,” Cruz posted.
Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) made fun of Talarico for it as well, asking “Do you think James Talarico still plays with his Fauci action figure?”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) campaign account rep-also shared it.
“Christmas in July” the account posted, along with a Christmas tree emoji and a masked emoji.
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) shared Talarico’s post too.
“The Fauci fan club was LOUD in 2021,” he wrote. “It’s funny how QUIET they got when the questions started. Keep playing with your dolls, TalaFREAKo. Republicans will continue to expose the TRUTH! Fauci is a FRAUD!!”
Some conservative media figures got in on the action as well, including right-wing pundit Benny Johnson.
Talarico did not respond to the doll-bashing.
The social media mockery followed Fauci refusing to answer questions ranging from whether Bill Gates partnered with China’s communist government on “sensitive research” to what color tie he was wearing.
He accused Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) of holding the hearing — which was focused on Fauci’s role in leading the government’s response to Covid-19 — because Paul had an “unhinged obsession” with him. Fauci then invoked the Fifth Amendment for the first time about 30 seconds later.
Fauci ripped the lawmaker a few days after Paul published his diary from the pandemic.
The diary showed Fauci was fixated on media coverage, often jotting down notes on press interviews and private conversations he had alongside stats on the rising death toll. Fauci’s diary also revealed his close ties to several prominent journalists, including the doctor writing about a “relaxed” dinner with CNN star Jake Tapper — a week after Fauci told Americans to “sacrifice” Thanksgiving.
Fauci wrote after his October 2020 supper with Tapper the anchor “clearly believes that Trump is totally nuts.”
After the hearing on Wednesday, President Donald Trump told reporters he was nevera “big fan” of Fauci.
