If you watched television on July 29, 2026, and saw Republican lawmakers grilling Dr. Anthony Fauci at a Senate committee hearing, you might believe Fauci was one of the most notorious villains in recent American history. The ugly criticisms of Fauci were the culmination of a multi-year Republican assault on one of the most accomplished medical scientists in the United States and the world.

In recent years President Trump, MAGA influencers in the national media, and GOP senators and congressmen slammed Dr. Fauci with numerous undocumented claims. Most significantly, they said Fauci played a key role in starting the Covid -19 pandemic.

What’s the meaning of this long-term assault on Dr. Fauci, whose medical research and management saved millions of lives in the United States and the world? An examination of this controversy reveals intriguing insights on the state of American politics in recent times.

Does it really matter if President Donald Trump threatens countries all over the world, and sometimes acts like he wants to take control? Are these just negotiating tactics – efforts to squeeze concessions? Or is Trump serious? Does he really want the United States to dominate those countries?

President Trump’s actions on the world stage have alienated allies, damaged the United States’ reputation as a trusted global leader, and provided examples that can inspire tyrants in other countries to try their hand at territorial aggression by word or by deed.

Yet Trump’s popularity is declining fast in the United States, and leaders in many nations have been inspired by the backbone Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney displayed when he resisted Trump’s bullying. There are growing opportunities to change the direction of global affairs.

The Jungle, a novel published in 1906 about terrible conditions in Chicago’s meatpacking plants, created a sensation about unhealthy meat products. Congress reacted by passing legislation that regulated production of food and medicine. Congress also established the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

This history is relevant. In 2026 there was an outbreak of cyclospora traced to iceberg lettuce from Mexico. Thousands of Americans fell ill. Two people died. The Food and Drug Administration’s reaction to the outbreak was inadequate, in part because the Trump administration had made significant cutbacks at the FDA.