Fred S. answered 28d
Master U.S. Government & Politics with Capitol Hill Veteran
In my experience, the reason some scientists and public health leaders get mocked or vilified has less to do with their work and more to do with politics, power, and profit. In times of crisis, like COVID, science inevitably collides with ideology and corporate interests. The same dynamic played out in the 19th and 20th centuries, when new discoveries—from vaccines to industrial regulation—were dismissed or ridiculed until the evidence became undeniable. Dr. Fauci became a lightning rod not because the science was unclear, but because he represented a government response that some chose to weaponize. In Washington, I’ve seen again and again that when facts challenge ideology or economics, the messenger often takes the hit.