What To Know
- Caroline Sunshine, a MAGA pundit and former Trump staffer, called Dr. Anthony Fauci a “textbook sociopath” and said he belongs in a mental institution.
- CNN NewsNight panelists pushed back, clarifying that major pandemic decisions were made by Trump, not Fauci.
- Sunshine’s comments sparked chaos and disagreement among the panel.
Former actress and current MAGA mouthpiece Caroline Sunshine ruffled feathers on CNN NewsNight for the second night in a row on Thursday (August 6) after labeling Dr. Anthony Fauci a “textbook sociopath.”
The panel was discussing the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic response and Fauci being dragged before Congress to face potential legal action. This came after the release of Fauci’s diary entries from when he was heading up the U.S.’s pandemic response.
“He started at the behest of the Trump administration; we should point that out,” author Leigh McGowan said, per Mediaite. “He did not have the authority to do any of the things people are claiming he is responsible for. He didn’t shut down the country; Trump chose to. He didn’t shut down the schools. Trump did. He didn’t mandate masks. Trump did.”
Sunshine, a former Disney Channel actress who served as a White House staffer under President Trump in 2018, disagreed that Fauci was being used as a scapegoat. “Forget about prosecuting him, the guy should be in a mental institution! He’s a textbook sociopath,” she said.
Her statement caused quite a stir in the studio, with the panel shouting over one another. Through the shouting, Sunshine continued her rant, saying, “I mean, DSM 5 level sociopath running our pandemic response, low empathy, ability to inflict pain on innocents, narcissism.”
Host Abby Phillip eventually stepped in, asking Sunshine, “What are you talking about?
Sunshine pointed to parts of Fauci’s diary in which he appeared to enjoy the publicity surrounding him. Phillip, however, disagreed that this warranted calling him a “sociopath.”
“Are you suggesting that he should be in a mental institution for having an ego, which I think would characterize just about every single person in Washington?” the CNN anchor said.
As Sunshine continued to double down, former Trump White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews interrupted to say, “I will acknowledge, was it very frustrating working in the White House press office and him being on a magazine cover or doing an interview on TV where he’s talking ill about the White House and its COVID response? Yes, that was annoying.”
However, she added that it’s wrong of Republicans to try to “scapegoat him and say it’s all his fault. We were dealing with a novel virus.”
You can watch the segment in the video above, courtesy of RawStory, and let us know your thoughts below.
CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, Weeknights, 11/10 c, CNN