Former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment during a combative US Senate hearing, refusing to answer questions on the government’s COVID-19 response, research funding, vaccine policies and his own conduct in office.
The hearing, led by Senator Rand Paul, saw Fauci decline to answer questions throughout the proceedings, with lawmakers claiming he invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination 111 times. Paul argued that a presidential pardon granted by former President Joe Biden meant Fauci no longer faced criminal jeopardy for matters covered by the pardon and therefore had no valid basis to refuse questioning. Fauci’s legal team disagreed, and he relied on legal advice throughout the hearing.
Paul accused Fauci of withholding information about US-funded research conducted in Wuhan, China, and criticised his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He repeatedly urged Fauci to apologise to Americans, alleging he had failed to provide the public with the full story about the origins of the virus and government decision-making.
Other Republican senators also challenged Fauci over issues ranging from his private diary and vaccine recommendations to government communications on ivermectin and the pursuit of private cash awards while serving as a senior public official. Senator Josh Hawley questioned Fauci over allegations that federal employees assisted with nominations for lucrative prizes, while Senator Ron Johnson raised questions about Fauci’s medical history and pandemic-era public health advice. Fauci declined to answer each line of questioning on the advice of counsel.
At one point, senators asked Fauci basic questions, including the colour of his tie and whether a folder was sitting in front of him, but he continued invoking the Fifth Amendment. Republican lawmakers argued his blanket refusal to testify obstructed the committee’s investigation, while Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal defended Fauci, criticising the proceedings as a politically motivated “show trial”.
The hearing concluded with Paul announcing that the committee would vote on whether to recommend Fauci be held in contempt of Congress after refusing to answer questions despite the committee directing him to do so. If approved, the referral would be sent to the US Department of Justice for consideration.
HOLY SHIT!! 🔥🔥
Josh Hawley just trolled the living hell out of Fauci and then absolutely DESTROYED and EXPOSED him in front of the entire country. pic.twitter.com/eSTdkdBiHt
— Gain of Fauci (@DschlopesIsBack) July 29, 2026
Fauci FRAUDULENTLY claimed ivermectin didn’t work so the government could inject the entire population with emergency-use-authorized gene therapies.
106 studies involving 200,000+ patients show ivermectin:
REDUCED mortality by 47%
REDUCED hospitalization by 34%
REDUCED cases by… pic.twitter.com/XilGajRpQW— Nicolas Hulscher, MPH (@NicHulscher) July 29, 2026
