Dr. Anthony Fauci repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment rights during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on July 29, 2026.
He declined to answer questions about COVID-19 origins and his personal diary, citing legal counsel and constitutional protections.
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The three-hour session, led by Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, focused on allegations regarding the early pandemic, coronavirus research funding, and potential perjury charges.
Lawmakers pressed the 85-year-old former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on entries from over 1,000 pages of his diary, recently released by Paul's office.
Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin questioned Fauci about specific passages written during the initial outbreak of SARS-CoV-2.
"Did you literally lie to your own diary?" Johnson asked.
Fauci declined to address the line of questioning, saying, "On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer, based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution."
The refusal occurred more than 100 times as GOP senators sought to build a case for criminal contempt of Congress or perjury charges.
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Fauci's Defense and Political Reactions
In his opening statement, Fauci defended his record of public service and criticized the hearing chairman for an "unhinged obsession with me" and "slanderous comments."
Advisers said the strategic decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment aimed to prevent lawmakers from seizing on inconsistencies between his live answers and historical records spanning his 50-year career.
Television host Lawrence O'Donnell said Senate Republicans "disgraced themselves" by attacking a public servant devoted to HIV/AIDS research and pandemic response.
O'Donnell defended Fauci's diary against accusations of vanity, saying, "There is nothing in the diary that reeks of vanity."
He emphasized the impact of Fauci's career, stating, "There is no higher calling than saving lives."
In closing, O'Donnell argued, "Anthony Fauci is right, and every one of those Republican senators is very, very wrong."
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Senator Paul pledged to pursue a committee vote to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress, which would require further procedural steps before any referral to the Department of Justice.
