I don't think the answer is all that complicated or nefarious.
My biggest complaint with Fauci and his ilk, is they claim to be scientists which should be fact based, but if he truly believes for example, masks help, then you can't lie to the public in order to prevent a run on masks in the supply chain.
Because of this science *isn't* fact based, its propaganda and the public realizes it. Worse, he used it as a political weapon against a president trying to make the best decisions beyond science in support of keeping the economy from crashing and civil unrest, constantly reverting back to the "I'm just a scientist" mantra when he was clearly agenda driven in his actions.
Once you realize your science information is politicized and is propaganda, then you have to question everything presented.
Politicians and Libs demand that people "follow the science" until following the science detracts from their goals. Even now you have Biden pushing boosters, the CDC telling him to back off and people don't know if its because the boosters won't work, or do they need to prioritize poorer nations who have no access to vaccines? The information isn't fact based, its a politicized interpretation of what they think we need to hear.
And it completely undermines their ability to lead the nation in the best approach, and as a result in the age of instant information, no shortage of google fu experts weighing in speaking in absolutes contradicting or supporting whatever they decide is believable.
