I'm Jessica Tarlov, and sometimes I get it wrong. Accepting that is the first step towards better debates

To me, two big moments stand out in this crazy political era over the last more than six years, when I believed one thing, then changed my mind.

The first is COVID-19. Don’t get me wrong, I still think Dr.

Anthony Fauci

, who retired in 2022 after leading the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for nearly 40 years, did a lot of good for the country. But

mask mandates

went too far, for too long. When I interviewed my conservative friend and fellow co-host on "The Five" Greg Gutfeld on my podcast, "Raging Moderates," I saw why he was so frustrated about the government’s response: they kept telling him what to do, instead of just leaving him alone.