On Anthony Fauci, the Wuhan Lab: What Does It Mean to “Trust” Public Officials

005 - Since SARS-CoV-2 tore through the population and left biologic, economic, and emotional catastrophe in its wake, the question of its origins has flitted in and out of public consciousness. The legacy U.S. media has, for the most parts, shown little interest in its origins beyond quick glosses affirming its “natural” origins, or perfunctory reporting on the unpopularity of the “lab leak” hypothesis. However, recent reporting by Katherine Eban at Vanity Fair has revealed that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. Government, and the NIH have misled the public about their support of “gain of function” research at the Wuhan lab. What does it mean to “trust” a public official in twenty-first century America, and why is it so polarizing to question them?