Conservatives aren't willing to forgive and forget the COVID-19 lockdowns — a fact made clear online as fury erupted during and after Dr. Anthony Fauci's appearance before Congress on Wednesday where he repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
Those who opposed the lockdowns, which Fauci bragged about helping implement in his now-infamous diary but extensively denied implementing publicly, had a field day online recalling the policies pushed by the one-time White House health advisor.
"Reminder how how insane the world was in 2021," Dr. Mollie James, a trauma surgeon and internet personality, said on X. She was commenting on a video of professional golfer Jon Rahm, who was forced to withdraw from a PGA Tour event while holding a six stroke lead because he tested positive for the virus while he was on the golf course.
The winner of that tournament earned north of $1.6 million.
"Never forget that California arrested a man for paddleboarding alone to keep him safe from COVID," recalled conservative activist Alex Lorusso, who goes by @alx on X. "Most retarded time period in human history."
The Malibu paddleboarder, who was alone on the water, was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of disobeying a lifeguard after allegedly violating Los Angeles' lockdown orders.
"Dr. Fauci isn't the only guilty one," Rep. Lance Gooden, D-Texas, said on X. "Democrats went as far as filling outdoor skate parks with sand to enforce their draconian COVID-19 lockdowns. Americans should never forget what they did."
Along with the post, he added a viral video showing a backhoe shoveling sand into a Venice Beach skate park.
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Kelly McCarty, a very outspoken critic of lockdowns and mRNA vaccines, posted a video of Ohio mother Alecia Ketts being tased and arrested by a school resource officer after refusing to wear a mask while watching a football game outside.
Ketts was with her children at the time. She later pleaded no contest to a trespassing charge.
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, referenced Ketts during his Wednesday grilling of Fauci, who was ordered to appear before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Moreno attributed his run for Senate to COVID-era government restrictions.
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During the Senate hearing, Fauci pleaded the Fifth 111 times. He refused to answer a single question posed by the senators, including what day of the week it was and what color tie he was wearing.
Podcast host Alex Lace noted to his nearly 58,000 X followers the time when high school track runners were forced to wear masks during meets.
"I s--- you not. During COVID they forced high school track teams to run outdoors… in masks," he said, later adding, "Never forget what they did."
Popular X user Chaya Raichik, who runs the LibsOfTikTok account also posted an image of news headlines detailing politicians and public figures who broke their own lockdown rules.
Examples include Democrat Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer apparently bucking her own rules to party at a dive bar; Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom attending a party at swanky Napa Valley restaurant French Laundry while his own lockdown orders lingered; and Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser officiating an indoor wedding without a mask mere hours after issuing an indoor mask order.
"It’s insane that any of these people were ever taken seriously again after this," post was captioned.