{"id":2637138,"date":"2026-07-29T09:38:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T13:38:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fauci-pleads-fifth-amendment-in-covid-19-hearing-chaired-by-rand-paul\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T09:44:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T13:44:52","slug":"fauci-pleads-fifth-amendment-in-covid-19-hearing-chaired-by-rand-paul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fauci-pleads-fifth-amendment-in-covid-19-hearing-chaired-by-rand-paul\/","title":{"rendered":"Fauci pleads Fifth Amendment in COVID-19 hearing chaired by Rand Paul"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffauci-pleads-fifth-amendment-in-covid-19-hearing-chaired-by-rand-paul%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2637138&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment rights and chose to remain silent during a key Senate hearing led by Senator rand Paul, focusing on Fauci&#8217;s role in COVID-19 pandemic policies. Fauci argued that the hearing was designed to force him to contradict his public commitments and to attempt to find evidence supporting claims that he might be criminally liable. Senator Paul criticized fauci for allegedly concealing the possibility that the COVID-19 virus originated from a laboratory in China and accused him of hiding evidence related to risky gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Paul also criticized Fauci for promoting the natural origin theory publicly while supposedly knowing privately that the virus could have come from a lab. The hearing highlighted partisan tensions, with most Republicans present and only two Democrats attending. Paul accused Fauci of enabling COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, suggesting that Fauci used his authority to justify controversial policies, and called for accountability for the pandemic&#8217;s handling. The event is part of ongoing investigations into the origins of COVID-19 and Fauci\u2019s role in the pandemic response.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/4666624\/anthony-fauci-testifies-senate-what-know\/\">Dr. Anthony Fauci<\/a> chose to plead his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent during a highly anticipated hearing Wednesday on his role in COVID-19 pandemic policy before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, which is chaired by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/rand-paul\/\">Sen. Rand Paul<\/a> (R-KY).<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fauci said in his opening testimony that he was invoking his right to remain silent because the hearing was called by Paul to get him \u201cto say something, anything that could vindicate his repeated public pledges\u201d to see him in prison.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4667091\/fauci-pleads-fifth-amendment-covid-hearing-chaired-rand-paul\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Fauci pleads Fifth Amendment in COVID-19 hearing chaired by Rand Paul<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4667050\/todd-blanche-lobby-john-cornyn-attorney-general-confirmation\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Todd Blanche to lobby John Cornyn as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-live-anthony-fauci-testifies-before-the-senate\/\" title=\"WATCH LIVE: ... testifies before the ...\">outgoing senator holds<\/a> up confirmation<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4667051\/watch-live-anthony-fauci-testifies-senate\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>WATCH LIVE: Anthony Fauci testifies before the Senate<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/4666624\/anthony-fauci-testifies-senate-what-know\/\">FAUCI TESTIFIES BEFORE THE SENATE IN COVID-19 HEARING: WHAT TO KNOW<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the opening of the hearing, Paul slammed Fauci for concealing the possibility that the virus that causes <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/covid-19\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"11163\">COVID-19<\/a> could have come from a lab in China.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">Dr. Anthony Fauci appears before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee at the Capitol, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Allison Robbert)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/07\/localimages\/AP26210471151616.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Anthony Fauci appears before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee at the Capitol, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Allison Robbert)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4620506\/rand-paul-subpoenas-anthony-fauci-hearing\/\">Paul subpoenaed Fauci<\/a>, former director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, for a public hearing after the former top infectious disease doctor refused to testify voluntarily regarding his role in setting pandemic policy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paul said in his opening statement that Fauci <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4603644\/rand-paul-fauci-intelligence-community-covid-origins\/\">used his position to conceal<\/a> federally funded risky \u201cgain-of-function\u201d virus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in order to shield himself and his agency from culpability for starting the pandemic.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOne million Americans died from COVID-19. Some estimate as many as 15 million people died worldwide from COVID-19,\u201d Paul said. \u201cPublicly, Anthony Fauci promoted the theory that the virus arose naturally, while privately he was well aware of a mountain of evidence suggesting the virus originated in the lab. The American people deserve answers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-transform:uppercase\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/4666058\/fauci-legacy-covid-origin-shattered-public-trust-narcissist-global-prestige-diary-entries\/\">IN FOCUS: Fauci\u2019s legacy: Shattered public trust<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the start of the hearing, only two Democrats were present in the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee room. Almost all Republicans were there from the beginning.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ahead of the hearing, Paul criticized legacy media outlets for their \u201cuncritical adulation\u201d of Fauci during the pandemic that allowed him to influence controversial policies, including strict vaccine mandates, shutting down schools, and masking children.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Anthony Fauci is a single bureaucrat who believed his opinions were so infallible that he could strip you of your liberties, and the media&#8217;s uncritical adulation of him helped him do it. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xgSXQLU2iX\">pic.twitter.com\/xgSXQLU2iX<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenRandPaul\/status\/2082431042791633082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 29, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paul said at the start of the hearing that the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 \u201ccould never have been inflicted without you aiding and abetting the crime.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhile you did not impose every restriction, you used your public authority to justify them,\u201d Paul said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This is a developing story and will be updated. Congress reporter Lauren Green contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fauci Pleads Fifth in Senate COVID-19 Hearing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2666,"featured_media":2637139,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-collage-anm8g6pq2-1785328475934-e1785329771581.jpg?1785315365&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[3774,4434,45995,3679,38952],"class_list":["post-2637138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-covid-19","tag-fauci","tag-fifth-amendment","tag-hearing","tag-rand-paul"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-collage-anm8g6pq2-1785328475934-e1785329771581.jpg?1785315365&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2637138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2666"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2637138"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2637138\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2637146,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2637138\/revisions\/2637146"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2637139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2637138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2637138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2637138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}