Like many of his fellow Republican lawmakers, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has frequently downplayed the virus that's killed over 300 thousand Americans and completely upended daily life in the United States.
Rubio has criticized Democrats in the past for calling attention to the Trump administration's mishandling of the response to the pandemic while speaking at packed Trump campaign events, the likes of which led to 30 thousand cases of the virus.
Members of Congress were among the first to be administered one of the new vaccines for the virus, along with healthcare workers, and Rubio received the vaccine earlier this month.
He tweeted about the vaccine and encouraged others to take it when it became available to them.
I know I looked away from the needle
And yes, I know I need a tan
But I am so confident that the #Covid19 vaccine is safe & effective that I decided to take it myself pic.twitter.com/TQbog6fu7i
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 19, 2020
Now, Rubio is facing backlash for a recent tweet slamming National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director Dr. Anthony Fauci, a key member of the White House virus response task force, accusing Fauci of "lying" about the effectiveness of mask wearing and about the level of vaccination needed to achieve herd immunity.
The United States Senator accused Fauci of being in an elite bubble.
Dr. Fauci lied about masks in March
Dr. Fauci has been distorting the level of vaccination needed for herd immunity
It isn't just him
Many in elite bubbles believe the American public doesn't know “what's good for them" so they need to be tricked into “doing the right thing"
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 27, 2020
In the early stages of the pandemic, medical experts—including Fauci—advised against wearing masks for those not treating patients infected with the virus. This was before the Centers for Disease Control updated its guidelines after seeing the degree to which asymptomatic carriers spread the virus, prompting them to call for mask wearing in public.
Rubio has rarely, if ever, called out President Donald Trump's rampant disinformation regarding the wearing of masks and other aspects of the pandemic.
Rubio's tweet was met with widespread criticism for its hypocrisy.
Rubio mocks Fauci, vaccinations. And claims public health experts “tricked" the public during #COVID19 pandemic.
Meanwhile—didn't Marco Rubio just get his vaccine?
Rubio is not a HCW, not old, not living in a nursing home. Still took it first chance he got. Sit down #LilMarco https://t.co/80rWilmPZ6 pic.twitter.com/fXPjRS3NWm
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) December 28, 2020
Tell me which "elite bubble" that might be? The one where scientists worked tirelessly to create&ensure safety of vaccines in record time? Where healthcare workers went without PPE? Where 300k+ Americans died?
Or: the bubble where you went to the front of the line for a vaccine? https://t.co/rpRdM4RmYK
— Megan Ranney MD MPH 🗽 (@meganranney) December 28, 2020
The ranting of a pathetic & spineless politician who raced to get the vaccine while doing zero to actually help families devastated by the virus.
Folks trust Dr. Fauci and believe he is working in the best interests of their families. No one believes that about you. https://t.co/Cvp8qXpeF2
— Jaime Harrison (@harrisonjaime) December 27, 2020
Tough talk from someone who has already been vaccinated. https://t.co/unBVdwp2Jb pic.twitter.com/nendtpiSea
— Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) December 27, 2020
Now that Marco got the vaccine before the nation's healthcare workers, he's back to work smearing the nation's premiere immunologist. https://t.co/M4nIdy1WD1
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) December 27, 2020
Area man who jumped the line for vaccination has strong opinions about “elite bubbles" https://t.co/wRpXvHViO2
— Angry Staffer (@Angry_Staffer) December 27, 2020
They called out the Senator's failure to rebuke Trump for his frequent lies about the virus.
Trump has been lying about everything since being sworn-in.
Trump has been distorting level of danger posed by COVID.
It isn't just him.
Many in the elite Republican bubble have been expressly or tacitly complicit, and now those ass-hats jump the line to be 1st to get vaccine. https://t.co/a9MKP7oBTv
— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) December 27, 2020
Marco, you don't have the balls to tell Dr Fauci to his face that you think he's been lying to the American people about this virus. Just like you don't have the balls to oppose the President who actually has been lying to the American people about this virus. https://t.co/PZuSqywSy9
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) December 27, 2020
A) Rubio is lying about Fauci. B) He's literally describing Donald Trump, the man who confessed on tape that he lied to the American people from the beginning about the coronavirus because we couldn't handle the truth. https://t.co/nkmUdRkK90
— John Aravosis 🇺🇸🇬🇷🏳️🌈 (@aravosis) December 27, 2020
Doses of the vaccine continue to be administered across the nation, but it will likely be months before its widely available to every American.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social