Former White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci declined to answer questions during a contentious Senate hearing Wednesday, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination while accusing Sen. Rand Paul of using the proceeding in an effort to build a criminal case against him.
Appearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is chaired by the Kentucky Republican, Fauci used his opening remarks to explain why he would not participate in the committee’s questioning.
“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.
Fauci Uses Attorneys to Fight Rand Paul
The former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases argued that Paul’s repeated calls for his prosecution, along with the recent release of his personal journals, convinced him the hearing was designed to pressure him into making statements that could later be used against him.
“The only conclusion I can reach is that the sole reason he is calling me before this committee is to get me to say something — anything — that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, ‘behind bars,'” Fauci told lawmakers.
He went on to describe Paul’s pursuit of him as an “unhinged obsession,” adding that despite his long history of cooperating with congressional oversight, he felt he had no choice but to invoke his constitutional rights.
“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,” Fauci said, he would decline to answer questions on the advice of counsel.
Fauci also reminded the committee that congressional testimony has long been part of his public service. During nearly four decades leading NIAID, he said he testified or briefed lawmakers “well over 200 times” and had consistently demonstrated his respect for congressional oversight.
Fauci Pleads the Fifth
Despite Fauci’s refusal to respond, Paul proceeded with a series of questions about the federal government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the virus’ origins. Fauci answered each inquiry with the same statement.
“On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution,” he repeated throughout the hearing.
Paul warned that the former health official’s silence could carry consequences.
“The committee will have to consider after this hearing what appropriate action should be taken against you for the failure to testify after being directed to do so,” Paul said. “It’s against the law to obstruct an investigation of Congress. There will be repercussions to your refusal to testify today.”
The hearing grew even more contentious after one of Fauci’s attorneys, David Schertler, attempted to address the committee without being recognized.
Paul repeatedly interrupted him, insisting that only the witness was permitted to speak.
“You are not recognized. You’re not recognized. If you are unruly, you will be removed from the proceeding,” Paul warned.
When Schertler continued speaking, the senator accused him of disrupting the hearing.
“You will respect these proceedings,” Paul said before adding, “Another word and you’re gone.”
After further interruptions, Paul instructed security to escort the attorney from the hearing room.
“Please remove him from the room,” he directed Capitol security, later noting for the record that Fauci still had several other attorneys present to advise him.
Alongside the hearing, Fauci’s legal team said the former health official invoked the Fifth Amendment because years of attacks from Paul made further cooperation impossible.
Attorneys Claim Paul Is Seeking Revenge
In a statement, Schertler said Fauci had spent 54 years at the National Institutes of Health and built a long record of working with congressional investigators, including frequent testimony before both the House and Senate.
The attorney argued that Fauci’s public rebuke of Paul during a 2021 Senate hearing sparked what he described as “an intense and seemingly pathological course of retribution, revenge, and obsession with Dr. Fauci.”
Schertler accused Paul of repeatedly calling for Fauci’s prosecution, publishing his private journal and making hundreds of social media posts attacking him. The statement also said the senator’s comments have contributed to repeated harassment and death threats against Fauci and his family.
Calling Paul’s campaign an “obsessive vendetta,” Schertler said the accusations leveled against Fauci are “false and disgraceful,” adding, “we will examine all options to hold him accountable.”
The attorney also defended Fauci’s decades of public service, noting that he advised presidents from both political parties and spent 38 years leading the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Longstanding Feud
The hearing marked the latest chapter in the years-long feud between Fauci and Paul, who have repeatedly clashed over the federal government’s pandemic response and the origins of COVID-19.
In the days leading up to Wednesday’s hearing, Paul released more than 1,100 pages of what he said were Fauci’s private journal entries covering the final years of the pandemic, along with hundreds of pages of older government records and emails.
Fauci retired from NIAID in December 2022 and became one of the nation’s most recognizable public health officials during the coronavirus pandemic. His handling of COVID-19 made him a frequent target of criticism from President Donald Trump and many conservative lawmakers.
The legal backdrop surrounding the hearing also drew attention.
Before leaving office, former President Joe Biden issued Fauci a broad pardon covering official conduct between 2014 and early 2025 related to his government service and the nation’s COVID-19 response. Senate Republicans have argued that the pardon would not shield Fauci if he were to provide false testimony before Congress.
Hawley Takes a Swing at Fauci
Sen. Josh Hawley also attempted to pressure Fauci into answering questions during the hearing, at one point asking a basic question about the day of the week.
Fauci responded with the same statement he had given throughout the proceedings, invoking his Fifth Amendment rights.
Hawley challenged that decision, telling Fauci, “Let’s just get one thing straight. You don’t have any rights under the Fifth Amendment because you’ve been pardoned.”
The committee is expected to consider additional action after the hearing. Paul has scheduled an Aug. 5 vote on a resolution that would declare Fauci in contempt of Congress following his refusal to answer lawmakers’ questions.
In the meantime, online users have chimed in to discuss how idiotic the proceedings seem to be.
Trump Attacks Fauci
The renewed attention surrounding Fauci also comes after Trump revived his criticism of the former health official by sharing a six-year-old video of Fauci’s ceremonial first pitch at a Washington Nationals game on Truth Social ahead of the Senate hearing.
Trump mocked the throw and referred to Fauci as a “phony,” marking another chapter in the pair’s long-running feud.
The Daily Beast noted that the criticism followed the public release of portions of Fauci’s personal journals by Sen. Paul.
Among the entries was one in which Fauci allegedly referred to Trump as an “idiot,” further highlighting the strained relationship between the two men during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump had once publicly praised Fauci early in the health crisis before the two increasingly clashed over the federal government’s response to the virus. The resurfaced video and diary excerpts added another layer to the political tensions surrounding Fauci’s appearance before the Senate committee.
