I'm Jessica Tarlov, and sometimes I get it wrong. Accepting that is the first step towards better debates

By [email protected] Published Sep 14, 2026

To me, two big moments stand out in this crazy political era over the last more than six years, when I believed one thing, then changed my mind.

The first is COVID-19. Don’t get me wrong, I still think Dr.

Anthony Fauci

, who retired in 2022 after leading the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for nearly 40 years, did a lot of good for the country. But

mask mandates

went too far, for too long. When I interviewed my conservative friend and fellow co-host on "The Five" Greg Gutfeld on my podcast, "Raging Moderates," I saw why he was so frustrated about the government’s response: they kept telling him what to do, instead of just leaving him alone.