Sinclair Decides Not to Air Segment About Fauci, CCP Virus Origins

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci at the White House in Washington on April 17, 2020. (Leah Millis/Reuters)

Sinclair Broadcast Group stations will not air a segment that included a virologist making claims about Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Dr. Judy Mikovits, the virologist, told host Eric Bolling in the pre-recorded interview that Fauci “manufactured” and shipped coronaviruses to Wuhan, China, since 2014.

Asked by Bolling if she was saying Fauci discovered the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus and shipped it to China, she added: “I’m not saying that he discovered it, I’m saying they were manufacturing these animal tissues. They were using these animal tissues at Ft. Detrick, and this has been done for decades. It was illegal in this country, so instead of continuing the work there, he funded the studies [in China].”

The segment later brought on Dr. Nicole Saphier, who challenged the claims.

Sinclair said in a statement that the segment included interviews with Mikovits and “a medical expert who debunked Dr. Mikovitz’s [sic] claims as conspiracy theories.”

The interviews were set to run on the group’s 81 markets over the weekend. Sinclair initially said it was delaying the episode and would invest time adjusting it to add other viewpoints and add additional context before telling supporters on Monday that it would not air the segment.

“Although the segment did include an expert to dispute Dr. Mikovits, given the nature of the theories she presented we believe it is not appropriate to air the interview,” it said.

“We also reiterate our appreciation for all that Dr. Fauci and his team have accomplished for the health and wellbeing of Americans and people worldwide.”

According to Media Matters for America, a nonprofit media watchdog that focuses on news outlets that are or perceived to be conservative, the segment was aired on at least one channel, WCHS-TV in Charleston, West Virginia.

Executives said they “valiantly support Dr. Fauci” and the work he and his team are doing, pointing to a one-on-one interview Sinclair reporter Scott Thuman conducted with Fauci, the longtime head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in April.

Fauci has an open invitation to appear on any Sinclair station at any time, the group said.

In a statement to The Epoch Times, Mikovitz said her lawyer filed a defamation lawsuit.

“Stay tuned,” she added.