Dr. Anthony Fauci, the controversial bureaucrat who has become a figurehead for the federal government’s response to the Chinese coronavirus, will throw out the first pitch at the Washington Nationals’ Thursday game, as reported by The Hill.
In selecting Fauci for the pitch, the Nationals released a statement calling him “a true champion for our country during the Covid-19 pandemic and throughout his distinguished career.” Also a likely factor in their decision was the fact that Fauci has worn a Nationals-branded mask in recent weeks.
Ever since Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, became one of the leading figures of the White House’s Coronavirus Task Force, he has come under heavy criticism for his promotion of overreaching lockdown measures, ostensibly as an effort to control the spread of the virus. He has also been promoting himself through other pop culture outlets, including doing a photoshoot for InStyle magazine, where he is slated to appear on the cover in the upcoming September edition.