TV Host Says She Quit Because She Was Blocked From Questioning Fauci

Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, prepares to testify before a Senate panel in Washington on Jan. 11, 2022. Greg Nash/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

A host of The Hill’s morning show says she abruptly resigned because she was blocked from taking part in a recent interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser.

Kim Iversen joined The Hill’s “Rising” in 2021. The show is described as a weekday morning program with bipartisan hosts that “breaks the mold of morning TV by taking viewers inside the halls of Washington power like never before.”

Iversen has repeatedly discussed COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccines, the government response to the disease, and other related subjects.

She told supporters in a video on July 29 that she vowed when she joined the show that she would maintain independence and not be censored. The Hill is owned by Nexstar Media Group.

Some of the segments made colleagues uncomfortable, but executives and producers never approached Iversen to shift her tone.

On the evening of July 24, Iversen says, she was told that Fauci’s team asked earlier in the month who the hosts would be when he appeared on the show and that Iversen wasn’t included because the interview was going to take place earlier than she typically reports to work.

Iversen told the producers to go back to Fauci’s team and say Iversen had to be included. If the interview was then canceled, then The Hill could run a segment about the development, she proposed.

While an agreement seemed to be reached, Iversen received a call the next morning from the show’s executive producer.

“They had made the final decision not to approach Fauci’s team but to instead move forward with the interview without me. They wanted me to come on the show, record a couple of segments, and then ask me to leave so they could interview Fauci,” Iversen said.

During the actual interview, Fauci falsely said that he never recommended lockdowns over COVID-19.

Concerns About Reputation

Iversen felt she could no longer remain with the program because of her promises to viewers.

“How could I say ‘it’s corporate media, but trust me,’” Iversen said.

“That would make me a liar and that would put my reputation at risk because I made promises to the viewers. And so, because of all of this, I am no longer with ‘Rising,’” she added.

The Hill referred comment to Nexstar, which did not respond to an inquiry.

Iversen said she plans to largely continue her work, but with videos appearing on social media websites directly from her, instead of through The Hill’s program.

“I hope you join me,” she said.