Anthony Fauci refused to answer questions at a tense US Senate hearing on the origins of Covid-19, saying he feared Republicans would use his testimony to pursue allegations of perjury.

Speaking on Wednesday at a hearing of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) invoked the Fifth Amendment, which protects people from being compelled to give evidence against themselves in criminal cases.

Fifth Amendment Refusal

Fauci, 85, told senators: “Under the advice of my attorneys,” he would invoke his right under the Fifth Amendment to refrain from responding. He said the decision followed concern that contradicting himself under oath could create legal exposure, noting he had previously testified about Covid and its origin at several congressional hearings.

He added that taking the Fifth Amendment is not an admission of guilt and is meant to guard against coercion and mistakes, as well as shifting the burden of proof onto an individual.

Fauci also acknowledged that former President Joe Biden granted him a pre-emptive pardon, protecting him from federal prosecution for actions taken between 2014 and 2025. He said the protection would not necessarily extend beyond that period, leaving open the possibility of charges after the date of the pardon, including under state or local law.

Contempt Vote and Possible Probe

Senator Rand Paul, a Republican and chairman of the hearing, continued questioning Fauci after his refusal. Paul invited Fauci to “apologise” and said the committee would vote next week on a resolution holding Fauci in contempt of Congress.

Republicans have repeatedly accused Fauci of withholding information about the pandemic from the public and of misstating the risks during the crisis. Fauci has denied wrongdoing and previously described the allegations as “simply preposterous”.

One of Paul’s lines of questioning focused on guidance that changed during the pandemic as officials learned more about the virus. Fauci had defended his earlier positions.

Fauci’s lawyer, David Schertler, attempted to interject during Paul’s questioning and was removed from the room. After the hearing, Schertler called it “outrageous” for Paul to exclude counsel when making what he described as a legitimate legal point, saying it reflected “the baseless and vindictive nature of this proceeding”.

Following the hearing, Florida’s Republican attorney general said he would open an investigation into Fauci. Senator Ron Johnson, also a Republican, said he would seek to subpoena Fauci in an effort to require him to answer senators’ questions.

Democrats defended Fauci, including Senator Maggie Hassan, who said the hearing was “designed to entrap” him.

Paul, Trump Trade Accusations

During the hearing, President Donald Trump posted on social media calling Fauci “crazy”. Trump said he had insisted from the start that the virus came from the Wuhan laboratory in China and that Fauci had “strongly disagreed”, portraying it as an attempt to protect China.

The origins of Covid-19 have been a longstanding point of contention in the US, with Trump, who was in office when the outbreak emerged in 2020, clashing with public health officials including Fauci.

In Wednesday’s hearing, Paul suggested that although Fauci had publicly said the virus originated naturally, Paul believed Fauci privately thought it began in a medical laboratory. Paul has promoted what is often called the lab-leak theory, linking the virus to China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology.

The World Health Organization said in 2025 that the natural-origins theory—spillover from animals to people—was the “best supported” explanation based on available evidence, but that until more information emerges, determining the origin remains “inconclusive”.

Diary Entries Revisit Origins Debate

Earlier this week, Paul released diary entries from Fauci’s pandemic era. In the entries, Fauci reflected on fame and discussed Covid origins, indicating that early on he considered both natural origins and a lab leak, before appearing to become more convinced the virus had a natural origin.

In one note from February 2020 about a call between Covid scientists, Fauci said doctors did not have “total agreement” on where the virus came from. He later wrote he was “almost certain” the virus evolved through a species jump while still keeping an open mind about a possible lab leak, and that two alternatives being possible did not mean they were equally probable.

Fauci has received death threats during and after the pandemic and Trump removed his security protection last year. He was also one of the most trusted figures in the US response during the crisis, and in 2021 Trump awarded him a presidential commendation for his work on the Covid vaccine project known as Operation Warp Speed.

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30 July 2026

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Hypothesis: The number one issue in America today is not affordable housing and healthcare, jobs, immigration, crime, drugs, deficit spending or government corruption–its the lack of people asking GOTCHA questions.

I'm so happy Republicans are so concerned about everyday Americans' top issue in 2026.

Immigrants? War? Growing Federal Deficit? Crime? Rising prices for housing and healthcare? NO WAY JOSE! Ask Fauci “What color is the carpet”?

Concerns about money and foreign influence corrupting the government?

NOPE! Ask Fauci “What day is it today?”

“What does your tie represent today?

^^^ This is what Americans are thinking about

It all makes sense now. 😄

Thank God Republicans are finally doing something about the political gridlock and polarization undermining confidence in leadership by asking Fauci about the meaning of his tie!

MY HEROES SO BRAVE AND STRONG 🥰

my fellow labradoodle

Rand Paul is one issue in this but for Fauci:

Executive Grant of Clemency

JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR.

President of the United States of America

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, GREETING:

BE IT KNOWN, THAT THIS DAY, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR., PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED

STATES, PURSUANT TO MY POWERS UNDER ARTICLE II, SECTION 2, CLAUSE 1, OF THE

CONSTITUTION, HAVE GRANTED UNTO

DR. ANTHONY S. FAUCI

A FULL AND UNCONDITIONAL PARDON

This covers anything he did after 2014. I'm not a lawyer but if one has a full and unconditional presidential pardon then why invoke the 5th? Also, in some of the allegations made by Sen Paul statute of limitations from prosecution might apply. If I had full immunity and I am 83 years old then I might have said what I wanted to say.

2 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Hypothesis: The number one issue in America today is not affordable housing and healthcare, jobs, immigration, crime, drugs, deficit spending or government corruption–its the lack of people asking GOTCHA questions.

I'm so happy Republicans are so concerned about everyday Americans' top issue in 2026.

Perhaps someday the Democrats will be concerned about these issues.

2 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Thank God Republicans are finally doing something about the political gridlock and polarization undermining confidence in leadership by asking Fauci about the meaning of his tie!

I saw that part. They asked him what color tie he was wearing. He declined to answer, invoking the 5th Amendment.

As if that would have incriminated him. What it does prove is that he was giving the finger to Congress. Next comes the vote to hold him in contempt...

3 minutes ago, temuFarang said:

Perhaps someday the Democrats will be concerned about these issues.

Perhaps you could remind me of when Republicans actively passed laws on housing, healthcare, jobs, immigration reform, crime reduction, drug policy, deficit management, and anti-corruption measures recently?

I must have missed that with all the showboating GOP dog and pony shows. 🥁

Just now, SiSePuede419 said:

Perhaps you could remind me of when Republicans actively passed laws on housing, healthcare, jobs, immigration reform, crime reduction, drug policy, deficit management, and anti-corruption measures recently?

I must have missed that with all the showboating GOP dog and pony shows. 🥁

The most problematic issues in the USA are:

Housing

Heathcare

Housing and healthcare are highly regulated by the government, either at the federal, state, or local level. This regulation is part of the problem; everything the government touches becomes more expensive.

Immigration has started to be under control since Trump took office, which is a positive development. Immigration reform is a euphemism for amnesty.

Deficit management is a lost cause until someone gets serious about trimming the social program, and unless the Republicans have 60 votes in the Senate, it will not happen. The Democrats will not cut social programs.

1 minute ago, temuFarang said:

The most problematic issues in the USA are:

Housing

Heathcare

Housing and healthcare are highly regulated by the government, either at the federal, state, or local level. This regulation is part of the problem; everything the government touches becomes more expensive.

Immigration has started to be under control since Trump took office, which is a positive development. Immigration reform is a euphemism for amnesty.

Deficit management is a lost cause until someone gets serious about trimming the social program, and unless the Republicans have 60 votes in the Senate, it will not happen. The Democrats will not cut social programs.

1 minute ago, temuFarang said:

The most problematic issues in the USA are:

Housing

Heathcare

Housing and healthcare are highly regulated by the government, either at the federal, state, or local level. This regulation is part of the problem; everything the government touches becomes more expensive.

Immigration has started to be under control since Trump took office, which is a positive development. Immigration reform is a euphemism for amnesty.

Deficit management is a lost cause until someone gets serious about trimming the social program, and unless the Republicans have 60 votes in the Senate, it will not happen. The Democrats will not cut social programs.

In other words, Republicans are in charge of all branches of Government, including many state governments BUT THEY JUST CAN'T SEEM TO DO ANYTHING.

Except showboating.

Yeah. I already said that. Thanks for agreeing with me 💯

Just now, SiSePuede419 said:

In other words, Republicans are in charge of all branches of Government, including many state governments BUT THEY JUST CAN'T SEEM TO DO ANYTHING.

Except showboating.

Yeah. I already said that. Thanks for agreeing with me 💯

It seems someone doesn't understand that it takes 60 votes in the Senate to accomplish much.

In criminal court I have seen defendants invoke the 5th Amendment while on the stand but never in my life have I seen anyone invoke the 5th 111 times while under oath. Could this be some kind of record?

1 hour ago, sqwakvfr said:

Rand Paul is one issue in this but for Fauci:

Executive Grant of Clemency

JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR.

President of the United States of America

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, GREETING:

BE IT KNOWN, THAT THIS DAY, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR., PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED

STATES, PURSUANT TO MY POWERS UNDER ARTICLE II, SECTION 2, CLAUSE 1, OF THE

CONSTITUTION, HAVE GRANTED UNTO

DR. ANTHONY S. FAUCI

A FULL AND UNCONDITIONAL PARDON

This covers anything he did after 2014. I'm not a lawyer but if one has a full and unconditional presidential pardon then why invoke the 5th? Also, in some of the allegations made by Sen Paul statute of limitations from prosecution might apply. If I had full immunity and I am 83 years old then I might have said what I wanted to say.

Fauci’s pardon only covers federal crimes, not state crimes. He should have the right to invoke the Fifth Amendment to protect himself from potential state prosecution. Therefore, he should not be considered in contempt of Congress, as suggested by Rand, simply for exercising that constitutional right.

The doctor is a man of science they should subpoena Trump in so he could explain his theory about drinking bleach he knew about it he did nothing about it he didn’t care that thousands of Americans were dying from it all he cares about is his own wallet TIA

5 minutes ago, TheFishman1 said:

The doctor is a man of science they should subpoena Trump in so he could explain his theory about drinking bleach he knew about it he did nothing about it he didn’t care that thousands of Americans were dying from it all he cares about is his own wallet TIA

"Man of science," yes, his own science! Scum always comes to the surface. https://restoration-news.com/the-fauci-cult-1-000-pages-of-ego-awards-and-alleged-cover-ups

Thailand should extradite him and put him on trial for destroying the Thai economy. He is a complete fraud.

30 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

In criminal court I have seen defendants invoke the 5th Amendment while on the stand but never in my life have I seen anyone invoke the 5th 111 times while under oath. Could this be some kind of record?

NO!

Try Trump!

Specific Count: NBC News and other outlets reported that Trump took the Fifth more than 440 times, answering only one question regarding his name

32 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

In criminal court I have seen defendants invoke the 5th Amendment while on the stand but never in my life have I seen anyone invoke the 5th 111 times while under oath. Could this be some kind of record?

GOP Florida senator Rick Scott was close, he invoked the Fifth Amendment 75 times in his criminal Medicare fraud trial.

Any decent lawyer would advise you to say nothing. It’s up to the otherside to prove it. It looks like a witch hunt to find someone they can blame for Covid. The rest of the world has moved on, learnt its lessons but in America it’s about blaming someone!

15 minutes ago, 300sd said:

"Man of science," yes, his own science! Scum always comes to the surface. https://restoration-news.com/the-fauci-cult-1-000-pages-of-ego-awards-and-alleged-cover-ups

Ahhh yes, a link to a right wing online rag. You got everyone!

300sd = link to a right wing online rag.

Fauci = Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) from 1984 to 2022, and advised seven U.S. presidents.

Education and Training

• B.A. degree: College of the Holy Cross (1962, pre-med)

• M.D. degree: Cornell University Medical College (1966, first in his class)

• Residency: New York Hospital–Cornell Medical Center

• Fellowship: Clinical immunology and infectious diseases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) [1, 2]

Key Professional Roles

• Director: NIAID (1984–2022)

• Chief Medical Advisor: To the U.S. President (Joe Biden) and member of the White House COVID-19 Response Team

• Advisor: Advised every U.S. president from Ronald Reagan through Joe Biden

• Architect: Helped create PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief)

Honors and Awards

• Presidential Medal of Freedom: Awarded in 2008 by President George W. Bush

• Publications: Authored or edited more than 1,400 scientific publications

• Memberships: National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine

I think I'm going to go with Fauci

Edited July 30Jul 30 by Sully_

1 minute ago, Brettoj said:

Any decent lawyer would advise you to say nothing. It’s up to the otherside to prove it. It looks like a witch hunt to find someone they can blame for Covid. The rest of the world has moved on, learnt its lessons but in America it’s about blaming someone!

And every few months, we hear about some virus or bacteria that may trigger the next plandemic.

Perhaps Americans don't want to see a rinse and repeat of probably the most dystopian and expensive evil ever foisted on us. There will be another pandemic. If there are no consequences after the last one (other than Fauci and Pharma getting rich), they'll do it again. Guaranteed.

1 hour ago, temuFarang said:

It seems someone doesn't understand that it takes 60 votes in the Senate to accomplish much.

It seems someone doesn't understand what the term "horse trading" means.

Or what the word "compromise" means.

So, what you are trying to say is that Republicans are failures at doing what it takes to pass laws that benefit Non- Billionaires....? 🤝

44 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

In criminal court I have seen defendants invoke the 5th Amendment while on the stand but never in my life have I seen anyone invoke the 5th 111 times while under oath. Could this be some kind of record?

Congress is not a criminal court.

In a civil court, the Trump cartel would appear to hold the record, with Eric Trump and Allen Weisselberg both invoking the Fifth over 500 times, and Donald Trump invoking the Fifth over 440 times during his 2022 deposition.

If repetition is a measure of bad faith, Fauci is a novice by comparison.

44 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

In criminal court I have seen defendants invoke the 5th Amendment while on the stand but never in my life have I seen anyone invoke the 5th 111 times while under oath. Could this be some kind of record?

Naa not even close old donald did over 200 times.odd to me that every trumper is trying to crucify a scientist for trying to save lives during a pandemic that for a time was killing 4,000 AMERICANS an effin day but won’t call out a New York City trustfund baby for exposing thousands of Americans during his let’s lie and rip-off America rallies…some folks are pathetic in my view.

2 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

If I had full immunity and I am 83 years old then I might have said what I wanted to say.

Fauci probably did say what he wanted.... OK.... he probably would have preferred to just say "FO, Rand!"

1 minute ago, gamb00ler said:

Fauci probably did say what he wanted.... OK.... he probably would have preferred to just say "FO, Rand!"

Why not? 1st Amendment and all.

2 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

Rand Paul is one issue in this but for Fauci:

Executive Grant of Clemency

JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR.

President of the United States of America

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, GREETING:

BE IT KNOWN, THAT THIS DAY, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR., PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED

STATES, PURSUANT TO MY POWERS UNDER ARTICLE II, SECTION 2, CLAUSE 1, OF THE

CONSTITUTION, HAVE GRANTED UNTO

DR. ANTHONY S. FAUCI

A FULL AND UNCONDITIONAL PARDON

This covers anything he did after 2014. I'm not a lawyer but if one has a full and unconditional presidential pardon then why invoke the 5th? Also, in some of the allegations made by Sen Paul statute of limitations from prosecution might apply. If I had full immunity and I am 83 years old then I might have said what I wanted to say.

I'm not a lawyer but if one has a full and unconditional presidential pardon then why invoke the 5th?

Correct.

You're not a lawyer and have no idea what the 5th amendment of the Constitution means. 😄

2 minutes ago, Tug said:

Naa not even close old donald did over 200 times.odd to me that every trumper is trying to crucify a scientist for trying to save lives during a pandemic that for a time was killing 4,000 AMERICANS an effin day but won’t call out a New York City trustfund baby for exposing thousands of Americans during his let’s lie and rip-off America rallies…some folks are pathetic in my view.

1) Not a Trump supporter 2) Trump did not have presidential pardon 3) Fauci has a presidential pardon for anything he did from 2014 til the end of the Biden Administration. What did he have to lose by speaking. Even he if admits to perjury from 2014 to 2024 he has a presidential pardon that gives him a "get out of jail card".

8 minutes ago, Sully_ said:

Ahhh yes, a link to a right wing online rag. You got everyone!

300sd = link to a right wing online rag.

Yes of course if it's anything to do with right wing then it's a lie. Spoken like a true divisive lefty. Yes you go with Fauci, etc, off the cliff.

44 minutes ago, LosLobo said:

Fauci’s pardon only covers federal crimes, not state crimes. He should have the right to invoke the Fifth Amendment to protect himself from potential state prosecution. Therefore, he should not be considered in contempt of Congress, as suggested by Rand, simply for exercising that constitutional right.

If Dr. Fauci answered questions under oath on Wednesday, any perceived discrepancy, misstatement, or contradiction with past testimony, emails, or personal diary entries could be used by opponents to file perjury or false statement charges against him today.

So, Dr. Fauci didn't take the Fifth because the pardon "didn't work," but rather because the pardon only covers the past, not the present. To avoid giving his critics new statements under oath that could be prosecuted as fresh perjury, his legal team advised him to decline answering questions altogether.

1 minute ago, SiSePuede419 said:

I'm not a lawyer but if one has a full and unconditional presidential pardon then why invoke the 5th?

Correct.

You're not a lawyer and have no idea what the 5th amendment of the Constitution means. 😄

Really, I have seen it invoked in criminal court during trials. Have you? AKA-One does not have to say or do anything that incriminates one self. That is non lawyer definition. Fauci did have potential legal consequence only while under oath during the Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing of July 29.

Just now, 300sd said:

spoken like a true divisive lefty.

Says the true divisive righty. Your self awareness is stunning