Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., stated that one of his regrets from the COVID-19 pandemic was not more forcefully advocating for the consideration of the lab leak theory, particularly after it was initially dismissed as a fringe idea. Fetterman shared these reflections following a Senate hearing where he questioned Dr. Anthony Fauci.
During the hearing, Fetterman told Fauci he was not there to attack him but rather to examine his own and the public's questioning and hesitancy throughout the pandemic. He expressed reluctance to publicly support the possibility of a lab origin due to its association with what he described as a "right-wing kind of theory."
"One [regret] for sure was, you know, this idea that it could have come from the lab," Fetterman told Fox News Digital. "That was like, you know, crazy, right fringe kind of thing. And I was like, ‘It seemed to make sense to me.’"
Fetterman indicated that he hopes future public health crises will be approached with a greater willingness to follow the truth, regardless of political affiliation. "I hope the next time this happens, we can follow where the truth is, depending on if there's an R or D after the name or whatever the side is," he said. "It's a virus, the only side is, really, Americans versus the virus in the future."
During the hearing, Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times, which Fetterman acknowledged. However, Fetterman emphasized his desire to hold himself accountable for his own approach during the pandemic.
"I know Dr. Fauci was gonna take the Fifth," Fetterman said. "So just like I said, I expressed my one regret, [not] being more willing to push that idea," referring to the lab leak possibility.
Fetterman also noted the widespread impact of the pandemic beyond loss of life, highlighting the devastation experienced by countless businesses. "I've had loved ones die from COVID, but I also met and I've heard from countless people that lost their businesses," he said. "That's devastating."