Fauci Refuses Pandemic Answers, Citing Fifth Amendment

Former National Institutes of Health official Dr. Anthony Fauci repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a contentious Senate hearing on July 29, 2026, declining to answer questions about the government's COVID-19 pandemic response. The hearing, held by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, was convened under a subpoena issued by the committee's chairman, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky.

Senator Bernie Moreno, a Republican from Ohio, delivered a blistering critique of Fauci during the proceedings. Moreno, who stated his decision to run for office six years prior was motivated by pandemic-era restrictions, directly challenged the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "Who the f--- do you think you were for doing that?" Moreno asked. "It is a total disgrace what you did to this country." He accused Fauci of being "more interested in being a celebrity than saving the American people" and criticized Democratic colleagues who had previously supported him.

Moreno pressed Fauci to apologize to Americans affected by lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and school closures, and asked him to...