Dr Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), refused to answer questions at a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday, invoking his constitutional right against self-incrimination. Fauci, who served as a key adviser to Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden during the Covid-19 pandemic, accused Republican Senator Rand Paul of having an “unhinged obsession” with him.
Fauci's opening statement
In his opening statement, Fauci said Paul had led a years-long investigation aimed at “embarrassing and intimidating me” and ultimately landing him “behind bars”. “Therefore, although it pains me to do so, because of the respect I have for the legislative branch of government and my decades-long record of cooperating with Congress, under the advice of my attorneys I will invoke my right under the fifth amendment of the constitution to refrain from answering your questions,” Fauci said.
Heated exchange with Senator Paul
After opening statements, the hearing devolved into a back-and-forth between Paul and Fauci. Paul grew visibly agitated as Fauci repeatedly declined to answer questions about gain-of-function research and NIH involvement with intelligence agencies. Each time, Fauci responded: “On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the fifth amendment of the constitution.”
Paul scolded Fauci, saying “The chairman has denied your assertion of privilege” and warned: “There will be repercussions to your refusal to testify today.” Paul later ordered security to remove one of Fauci’s attorneys from the hearing room after the attorney attempted to join Fauci at the table. The attorney patted Fauci on the shoulder and voluntarily left with a security guard. Members of the audience, including rightwing media figure Laura Ingraham, applauded.
Background of the hearing
Republicans characterized their work as investigating “the origins of Covid-19 and risky taxpayer-funded life science research”, while scientists have described the investigation as “vilification and harassment” of Fauci, who led NIAID for 38 years before retiring in 2022. The hearing was a continuation of Paul’s support for the “lab leak” theory, which many virologists contend is improbable. A 2024 survey of virologists from the Global Catastrophic Risk Institute found that most believed the pandemic began as a spillover event from an infected animal to a human.
The hearing came days after Paul released what he described as Fauci’s “diary”, a more than 1,100-page document containing entries about Trump, whom Fauci described as “rambling”, “crazy”, “desperate”, “bumbling”, “incompetent”, “an idiot”, “a true embarrassment”, “totally nuts” and “truly an obnoxious adolescent”.
Reactions from senators
Democratic Senator Gary Peters of Michigan described the hearing as damaging to science and ignoring public health threats like cyclospora and measles outbreaks. “It’s attempting to turn one person into a scapegoat for a crisis that hundreds of officials across the Biden and Trump administrations were responsible for handling,” Peters said. Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin called the Covid-19 vaccine “experimental gene therapy” and accused Fauci of “lying” to his own diary. Fauci again declined to answer, invoking the fifth amendment.
