{"id":22883,"date":"2026-07-31T07:42:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T02:42:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=22883"},"modified":"2026-07-31T07:42:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T02:42:01","slug":"ex-cbs-reporter-claims-critcizing-fauci-got-her-pulled-off-air-during-covid-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=22883","title":{"rendered":"Ex-CBS reporter claims critcizing Fauci got her &#8216;pulled off-air&#8217; during COVID pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft wp-block-nypost-editor-partner-article-links\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Former CBS News journalist Brittney Hopper claimed Thursday that she got into trouble after questioning\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/30\/us-news\/angry-fauci-fires-off-an-f-bomb-during-walk-with-wife-hours-after-senate-grilling\/\">Dr. Anthony Fauci<\/a>, former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>Hopper\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lmDwFydGBqI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">appeared on News24<\/a>\u00a0in Australia to discuss Fauci\u2019s decision to invoke his Fifth Amendment right more than 100 times during his congressional hearing Wednesday, refusing to answer any questions.<\/p>\n<p>Before reacting to Fauci\u2019s hearing, the independent journalist, who previously worked for CBS News Los Angeles until 2022, gave her own history reporting on Fauci and how he was deified by the mainstream media.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have so much to say because this was during the time when I was on CBS News, I was reporting extensively on COVID,\u201d Hopper said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was out there on the front lines. And I remember after a couple of years of dealing with hearing this man and interviewing this man, and having to wear masks and having our kids out of school for years, I remember questioning what he was doing. And I got in trouble and pulled off-air for a couple of days because I started questioning him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She later added, \u201cYou weren\u2019t supposed to question the agenda and the narrative at that point. And I apologized and I went back on air covering what I was supposed to do as I\u2019ve mentioned before on here. I was their puppet on mainstream media for so many years. Hopefully, more and more people are waking up to, you know, really, the lack of journalistic integrity that we\u2019re seeing.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><button class=\"button button--modal-trigger\" aria-label=\"Open the image in a modal.\" data-modal-image=\"40140002\"><br \/>\n\t<default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"icon-plus\" fill=\"#fff\" viewbox=\"0 0 1033 1000\" width=\"1em\" height=\"1em\"><default:path d=\"M380 364V0h273v355h380v290H653v355H380V645H0V355h380v9z\"\/><\/default:svg><br \/>\n<\/button><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.25030525;display:block\" decoding=\"async\" data-modal-image=\"40140002\" width=\"738\" height=\"590\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Dr. Anthony Fauci at a Senate hearing.\" class=\"wp-image-40140002\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 4993w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=300,240&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=768,614&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 768w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=1024,819&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=1536,1229&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=2048,1638&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 2048w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=600,480&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 600w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=736,589&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 736w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=620,496&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 620w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=576,461&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 576w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=440,352&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 440w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=353,282&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 353w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=180,144&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 180w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=89,71&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 89w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=50,40&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 50w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=88,70&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 88w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=68,54&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 68w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=200,160&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 200w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=231,185&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 231w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=322,258&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 322w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=551,441&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 551w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=75,60&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 75w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=100,80&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 100w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=1200,960&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1200w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=73,58&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 73w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/dr-anthony-fauci-former-director-135919197.jpg?resize=195,156&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 195w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 738px) 100vw, 738px\"\/><figcaption>Former CBS News reporter Brittney Hopper claims she was pulled off-air during the COVID-19 pandemic after questioning Dr. Anthony Fauci. <span class=\"credit\">Michael Brochstein\/ZUMA \/ SplashNews.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Hopper said that she was not shocked by\u00a0Fauci\u2019s response\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/29\/us-news\/the-5-most-shocking-moments-from-anthony-faucis-senate-testimony\/\">during his hearing<\/a> but hoped that the \u201cinsanity\u201d of him refusing to answer questions opens people\u2019s eyes to his lack of knowledge during the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hope that this is somewhat of a wake-up call for news organizations around the world,\u201d Hopper said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe six feet apart thing that he made up, wearing masks outside with not a single soul around us, you know, there were so many questions that were left unanswered and\u2026 let me give him the benefit of the doubt. That first year, many of us \u2013 we had no idea what was going on, but then when we started to learn more and more and started to really use journalistic integrity, which maybe that\u2019s just been thrown out the window\u2026 news agencies jumped on the bandwagon with him and just feared so many Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><button class=\"button button--modal-trigger\" aria-label=\"Open the image in a modal.\" data-modal-image=\"40140001\"><br \/>\n\t<default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"icon-plus\" fill=\"#fff\" viewbox=\"0 0 1033 1000\" width=\"1em\" height=\"1em\"><default:path d=\"M380 364V0h273v355h380v290H653v355H380V645H0V355h380v9z\"\/><\/default:svg><br \/>\n<\/button><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.77777778;display:block\" decoding=\"async\" data-modal-image=\"40140001\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Brittney Hopper, an independent journalist, speaks during a Power Hour segment, discussing Anthony Fauci.\" class=\"wp-image-40140001\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1920w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=300,169&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=768,432&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 768w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=1024,576&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=1536,864&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=600,338&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 600w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=878,494&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 878w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=744,419&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 744w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=576,324&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 576w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=440,248&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 440w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=424,239&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 424w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=180,101&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 180w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=107,60&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 107w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=130,73&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 130w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=71,40&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 71w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=124,70&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 124w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=96,54&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 96w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=200,113&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 200w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=231,130&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 231w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=322,181&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 322w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=664,374&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 664w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=142,80&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 142w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=1200,675&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1200w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=87,49&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 87w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=234,132&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 234w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/brittney-hopper-ex-cbs-reporter-136043624.jpg?resize=50,28&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Hopper worked for CBS News Los Angeles until 2022, as she appeared on News24 in Australia, saying, \u201cI got in trouble and pulled off-air for a couple of days because I started questioning him.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">News24<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When reached by\u00a0Fox News Digital, CBS News clarified that Hopper had left the network prior to editor-in-chief Bari Weiss taking over in 2025.<\/p>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--nypostbusinessunit aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Morning Report\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__unsubmitted-title-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"inline-module__cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In addition to facing criticism from GOP lawmakers over his hearing performance, Fauci faced renewed scrutiny over excerpts from his private diary, which revealed comments that contradicted his public statements.<\/p>\n<p>For example, despite repeatedly claiming in 2022 that he did not endorse COVID lockdowns, Fauci wrote in several 2020 diary entries about how he\u00a0recommended lockdowns\u00a0to city, state and federal officials, including President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former CBS News journalist Brittney Hopper claimed Thursday that she got into trouble after questioning\u00a0Dr. Anthony Fauci, former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hopper\u00a0appeared on News24\u00a0in Australia to discuss Fauci\u2019s decision to invoke his Fifth Amendment right more than 100 times during his congressional&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/newspress-collage-ag6nn8bst-1785464674396.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&1785450307&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22883"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22883\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}