Slusser Says Fauci Comment Was Not To Be Taken Literally

EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County Board Chairman Chris Slusser said on Friday, July 31, 2026, that a Facebook comment from his personal account suggesting Dr. Anthony Fauci needed a “public hanging” was “obvious rhetorical hyperbole,” after the remark drew controversy and prompted calls for his resignation from the Madison County Democratic Party and created some criticism.

The comment was posted Wednesday, July 29, 2026, on an original Facebook post by Hartford resident Jim Barzee, who criticized Dr. Fauci and referenced his being silent 111 times during U.S. Senate questioning about the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In a statement Friday, Slusser defended the remark and said it was not intended literally.

This was Slusser's statement on Friday regarding the comment:

"I honestly can’t believe this has become a story. Anyone with common sense knows the remark was not a literal call for public execution. It was obvious rhetorical hyperbole – the kind of exaggerated language people use every day. It was a call for more public scrutiny. If certain people are going to be offended by every figure of speech, they’ll never stop being offended. I would invite people to do a simple Google search for: 'examples of the phrase public hanging used as hyperbole' and see what you find.

"To me, this is the exact type of clickbait journalism that puts people off. An obscure Facebook comment seen by a handful of people gets turned into a major 'controversy' because outrage attracts attention.

"As for the inevitable calls for me to resign by the local Democratic Party, give me a break. Resigning over an obvious piece of hyperbole has to be one of the silliest suggestions I’ve heard in a long time.

"I’ll stick to fighting for the people of Madison County. And no, that isn’t a call for a physical brawl."

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