Former CBS News Los Angeles journalist Brittney Hopper stated that she was removed from air for a period of time after questioning the COVID-19 narrative surrounding Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

Hopper shared her experience during an appearance on News24 in Australia, where she discussed Fauci's recent congressional hearing. She recounted her own reporting on COVID-19 during her tenure at CBS News Los Angeles, which concluded in 2022. Hopper described how, after years of reporting on Fauci and the pandemic, she began to question his recommendations.

"I remember questioning what he was doing. And I got in trouble and pulled off-air for a couple of days because I started questioning him," Hopper said, adding that "You weren't supposed to question the agenda and the narrative at that point."

She stated that she later apologized and returned to her regular reporting duties. Hopper suggested that many news organizations adhered to a specific narrative during the pandemic, and she expressed concern over what she described as a "lack of journalistic integrity."

"The six feet apart thing that he made up, wearing masks outside with not a single soul around us, you know, there were so many questions that were left unanswered," Hopper commented, referencing some of Fauci's public health recommendations.

Hopper also noted that she was not surprised by Fauci's decision to invoke his Fifth Amendment right more than 100 times during his congressional hearing. She expressed hope that his refusal to answer questions would serve as a "wake-up call for news organizations around the world."

Recent scrutiny of Fauci has also stemmed from excerpts of his private diary. These entries reportedly contained statements that appeared to contradict his public assertions. For example, while claiming in 2022 that he did not endorse COVID-19 lockdowns, diary entries from 2020 indicated he had recommended lockdowns to city, state, and federal officials, including President Donald Trump.

CBS News, when reached by Fox News Digital, clarified that Hopper had left the network prior to a change in editorial leadership in 2025.