Fauci Invokes Fifth Amendment Declines to Testify in COVID-19 Hearing

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dr. Anthony Fauci repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a Senate hearing Wednesday, declining to answer dozens of questions about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The hearing, led by Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, marked the latest chapter in Paul’s yearslong criticism of Fauci, who helped lead the nation’s pandemic response. By invoking the Fifth, Fauci avoided answering questions that could expose him to allegations of making false statements under oath. Although former President Joe Biden pardoned Fauci in early 2025, some Republicans have argued he could still face legal scrutiny for statements made during Wednesday’s testimony.

Fauci was subpoenaed to appear before the Republican-led committee and declined to answer questions more than 100 times during the roughly three-hour hearing. The exchanges underscored the deep political divisions that remain over the pandemic and Fauci’s role in the federal response.

In his opening statement, Fauci accused Paul of trying to build a criminal case against him.

“Sen. Paul has an obvious obsession with calling for my prosecution,” Fauci said. “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 said he was invoking the Fifth Amendment on the advice of his attorney.

Throughout the hearing, Paul accused Fauci of misleading Congress in previous testimony about the origins of the coronavirus, allegations Fauci has repeatedly denied. Democrats defended Fauci, arguing the hearing was politically motivated and praising his work during the pandemic.

With Fauci declining to answer most questions, Paul spent much of the hearing outlining his accusations and criticizing Fauci’s leadership at the National Institutes of Health.

“History will judge,” Paul said, arguing Fauci’s tenure was marked by “dishonesty, misjudgment and ultimately the hubris, the likes of which the world has never seen.”

The hearing also grew tense when Paul ordered Fauci’s attorney, David Schertler, removed from the room after he attempted to speak without being recognized. Schertler later called the decision “outrageous” and described the proceedings as biased. He also said Paul’s accusations against Fauci were “false and disgraceful.”

Democratic senators pushed back, with Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire telling Fauci, “This hearing is designed to entrap you.”

Near the end of the hearing, Paul announced the committee will vote next week on whether to hold Fauci in contempt for refusing to answer questions. He did not say whether he would seek criminal contempt charges or pursue another course of action.

Ahead of the hearing, Paul also released more than 1,000 pages from Fauci’s personal diary covering the pandemic years. On social media, Paul argued the entries show a difference between what Fauci wrote privately and what he told the public.

Some of the diary entries, including Fauci’s uncertainty during the early days of the pandemic as scientists worked to understand the virus, had already been discussed in his 2024 memoir and public interviews. Still, the records have drawn renewed attention from critics who blame Fauci for policies such as mask mandates and school closures.

Earlier Wednesday, President Donald Trump also weighed in on social media, saying he stopped relying on Fauci during the pandemic because he believed the scientist made poor decisions on masks, shutdowns and other public health measures.