by Steve Watson  ZERO HEDGE

Earlier in the week, the Justice Department asked an appeals court to overturn a federal judge's order that mask mandates were unlawful.

As we noted in April, Joe Biden's CDC extended mask mandates for Americans on planes and public transport, while the administration sought to simultaneously end all COVID restrictions for migrants crossing illegally into the United States.

Fauci said at the time that more time was needed and that mask mandates should be kept in place. Now he admits it’s not about health concerns, but purely about maintaining power.

Speaking with Fox host Neil Cavuto, Fauci said “One of the issues, Neil, that I have articulated in the past and I will in the future – it’s less about mandates on the plane than it is about who has the right and the authority and the capability of making public health decisions.”

He continued, “I believe that the Department of Justice is operating on the principle that decisions that are public health decisions belong with the public health agency, in this case, the CDC.”

“So it’s more of a matter of principle of where the authority lies than it is about whether or not there’s gonna be a mandate on a plane or not,” Fauci declared.