Senator Ron Johnson stated that Dr. Fauci was concerned in January 2021 that the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine could be associated with miscarriage in the first trimester.

What we found

Supports. Johnson's X post of Aug. 10, 2026 states that Fauci 'was concerned in January 2021 that the second dose of the COVID shot "theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester."'[7]

Supports. Johnson's official Senate website repeats the same statement about Fauci's January 2021 concern, matching the wording of the claim.[4]

Supports. CBS News and Forbes report that the released texts from January 2021 contain Fauci's 'theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the first trimester' language, so the quoted words are documented in the texts Johnson cited.[5][6]

Context. PolitiFact, Snopes and FactCheck.org rated Johnson's broader claim false: they found the 82% miscarriage figure misread a 2021 study and that multiple studies show no increased miscarriage risk from COVID vaccination during pregnancy.[1][2][3]

Context. Fact-checkers also note that Fauci's text was speculative, made before data was available, and did not cite miscarriage data. This affects how the concern should be characterized, but not whether Johnson said it.[2][8][9]

Sources

9 sources: 3 fact-checkers, 1 primary, 2 tier 2, 3 not rated

1. 1Republicans Revive False Miscarriage Statistic, Twist Fauci's Texts About COVID-19 Shotsfactcheck.org · fact-checker · cited for: context
2. 2Fauci didn't cover up data supposedly showing COVID-19 vaccine had 82% miscarriage ratesnopes.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
3. 3No, COVID-19 vaccines don't increase miscarriage ratespolitifact.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
4. 4Anthony Fauci was lying through his teeth - U.S. Senator Ron Johnsonronjohnson.senate.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
5. 5Fauci discussed potential risks, benefits of COVID vaccine for pregnant women in 2021 texts released by GOP senatorscbsnews.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
6. 6Fauci Texts: Republican Senators Release First Batch Of Messages From Fauci's Government Phoneforbes.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
7. 7Senator Ron Johnsonx.com · not rated · cited for: supports
8. 8Fauci Text Reveal: What It Shows About COVID Vaccine Risk to Pregnant Womencharlotteobserver.com · not rated · cited for: context
9. 9The GOP Wants To Take Down Fauci—and Is Putting ...yahoo.com · not rated · cited for: context

Where this claim was made

Said in 1 published post

• Badlands Media · Aug 11, 2026“Senator Ron Johnson put this out today: uh "Dr. Fauci knew dr. Fauci was concerned in January 2021 that the second dose of the COVID shot theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the first trimester."”Post →

Related claims

• Anthony Fauci knew that pregnant women had a higher rate of miscarriage from taking the COVID-19 vaccine.False
• Dr. Anthony Fauci stated that COVID-19 vaccines could theoretically be associated with miscarriage in the first trimester due to cytokine storms and fever after the second dose.True
• Senators Ron Johnson and Rand Paul released documents claiming a 12.6% miscarriage rate for pregnant women who received the COVID-19 vaccine.Can’t tell
• A study on COVID-19 vaccination during the first trimester of pregnancy revealed an 82% miscarriage rate.False
• Raw data revealed an 82% miscarriage rate in women vaccinated during the first trimester.False