NIH Acting Deputy Director Nicole Kleinstreuer, a Barack Obama-era staffer and noted fangirl of Dr. Anthony Fauci, has indirectly responded to the backlash from a recent Gateway Pundit report by defending the continued funding of animal torture tests, with shocking support from PETA!
The Gateway Pundit report, “EXCLUSIVE: NIH Renews Grants for Harvard Monkey Lab, Fauci’s Beagle and Primate Tests,” sparked significant attention after White Coat Waste (WCW), a watchdog organization aimed at ending taxpayer-funded animal experimentation, amplified the story on X.
The article, citing WCW, revealed that despite the Department of Veterans Affairs and Navy under President Donald Trump working to end inhumane animal testing, the National Institutes of Health, led by Director Jay Bhattacharya, has reauthorized millions in funding for contentious experiments. These include THC testing on monkeys at Harvard, tick-bite studies on beagle puppies, and Anthony Fauci’s infamous “Monkey Island” project.
“NIH has re-upped grant funds for THC experiments on young monkeys at Harvard University…NIAID has also renewed grants for tick bite experiments on 400 beagle puppies at the University of Columbia-Missouri that were uncovered by a WCW investigation”
EXCLUSIVE: NIH Renews… pic.twitter.com/Qfc4I5n7NO
— White Coat Waste (@WhiteCoatWaste) June 16, 2025
”We have no intention of just phasing out animal studies overnight. We know that animal studies are still very important and often scientifically justified.” – Nicole Kleinstreuer, Acting Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health (@NIH)
— White Coat Waste (@WhiteCoatWaste) June 20, 2025
The article quoted Kleinstreuer saying in a recent NPR interview that the NIH has “no intention of just phasing out animal studies overnight.”
Her comments stand in contrast with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledging a “dramatic reduction in animal testing at NIH” in April.
It’s #TaxDay!
Thank you @SecKennedy @DrMakaryFDA @NIHDirector @DOGE for ensuring taxpayers’ hard-earned money isn’t wasted on cruel & inefficient animal tests! pic.twitter.com/5HD3JXmZ11
— White Coat Waste (@WhiteCoatWaste) April 15, 2025
In response to criticism prompted by our article, Kleinstreuer posted on X, claiming her position was “widely and willfully misconstrued” but reiterated that animal tests must continue until better scientific alternatives are available.
“I have dedicated my career to advancing human-relevant science to replace animal testing, and continue to do so. @NIHDirector_Jay is an ally and a leader in this space and I am lucky to work for him!” Kleinstreuer wrote. “The 1st half, which has been widely and willfully misconstrued, is that we cannot phase out animal tests overnight. We must invest in science to replace them and improve biomedical research and public health protection. Without better science, animal tests unfortunately continue.”
The 1st half, which has been widely and willfully misconstrued, is that we cannot phase out animal tests overnight. We must invest in science to replace them and improve biomedical research and public health protection. Without better science, animal tests unfortunately continue.
— Dr. Nicole Kleinstreuer (@NKleinstreuer) June 25, 2025
The backlash also drew unexpected support from PETA and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), who came to her defense, even as she reaffirmed her stance on continuing animal testing funding, putting her at odds with the positions of President Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
WAIT—YOU DIDN’T HEAR?
A guide for what @NIH will fund shows a recent change that prioritizes animal-free, human-relevant research.
We’re grateful to @NKleinstreuer, @NIHDirector_Jay, & @RobertKennedyJr for championing this move! https://t.co/DiVerjwinQ— PETA (@peta) June 26, 2025
DID YOU MISS THE BEST NIH NEWS EVER?@NIH is prioritizing modern, human-relevant research technologies over experiments on animals. We’re grateful to @NKleinstreuer, @NIHDirector_Jay, & @RobertKennedyJr for championing this move.
— PETA (@peta) June 25, 2025
Thank you for your support! We are deeply committed to advancing human-biology based methods to reduce and replace animal testing and improve public health protection, and it’s great to see recognition of that.
— Dr. Nicole Kleinstreuer (@NKleinstreuer) June 19, 2025
Thank you for your support! We are deeply committed to advancing human-biology based methods to reduce and replace animal testing and improve public health protection, and it’s great to see recognition of that.
— Dr. Nicole Kleinstreuer (@NKleinstreuer) June 18, 2025
Apparently, PETA and PCRM agree with Nicole that “animal studies are still very important and often scientifically justified” and that “we cannot phase out animal tests overnight?” Someone should probably inform their donors.
Kleinstreuer’s X account indicates that she has been interacting positively with PETA since 2018. Retweets on her account also reveal her deep admiration for Dr. Fauci, perhaps the most infamous animal tormentor of all time.
The U.S. Navy’s recent ban on cat and dog testing, which credited RFK Jr. and WCW, and the Trump administration’s prior closures of an FDA monkey nicotine lab and a major cat lab, have made it very clear that this administration is prioritizing reform and moving away from crueltly.
A bipartisan group of 10 U.S. lawmakers are demanding answers from Dr. Anthony Fauci about taxpayer-backed “outdated, unnecessary, and cruel” medical experiments on dogs.https://t.co/FQJOOz6NYq
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) December 10, 2022
It appears that holdovers from past administrations have other ideas.
Additionally, the Trump-haters at PETA keep making the media rounds trying to claim victory for WCW wins.
WCW remains the only animal advocacy organization to shut down any government primate lab in nearly a decade, any government dog testing labs in almost 20 years, and any government cat lab in the last 40 years.
Responding to the controversy, WCW President Anthony Bellotti told The Gateway Pundit:
President Trump was right to propose a 40% budget cut to clean out waste and abuse at the broken and bloated NIH. Secretary Kennedy has also long opposed Fauci’s beagle labs—spending first uncovered by White Coat Waste. RFK also just helped ban the Navy’s dog and cat testing after a White Coat Waste investigation and has promised a “drastic reduction” in NIH animal experiments. But NIH bureaucrats are now defying both RFK and Trump—defending and doubling down on Fauci-era animal labs. Nicole Kleinstreuer, an NIH Deputy Director, just told NPR that animal testing is “very important and scientifically justified”—Fauci’s exact position.
While other Trump-aligned agencies are canceling, phasing out, or banning animal tests altogether, NIH has renewed cocaine injections in beagles, re-upped tick infestations on puppies, continues to kill cats in Fauci’s COVID labs, and still tortures monkeys with toy snakes and spiders inside Dr. Bhattacharyya’s headquarters. Under Kleinstreuer and Bhattacharyya, NIH has even spent millions to start brand-new dog labs. Taxpayers shouldn’t spend another dime developing “alternatives” for transgender mice, beagle cocaine tests, or any other NIH boondoggles. More big government spending won’t save lab animals. Only one thing will: Stop the money. Stop the madness!
The Gateway Pundit has reached out to NIH, HHS, and Kleinstreuer for comment. We will update this article if one is provided, or if she subtweets us again.
The post SHOCK SCANDAL: Fauci’s NIH Lapdog Desperately Justifies Barbaric Animal Tests as PETA Comes to Her DEFENSE appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.