GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri highlighted just how ridiculous former government health official and COVID czar Dr. Anthony Fauci became in his refusal to answer any of lawmakers’ questions Wednesday.
Fauci pleaded his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination over 100 times while appearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where he was summoned to address his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former President Joe Biden, during his final hours in office, issued a full and unconditional preemptive pardon of Fauci for any crimes he may have committed related to his handling of COVID and his tenure as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) from 2014 to 2022, and as the Chief Medical Advisor to the President from 2021 to 2022.
Nonetheless, Fauci pleaded the Fifth when Committee Chairman Rand Paul asked him questions. He continued to do so as other senators took their turns.
Fauci even declined to answer when Hawley posed three non-COVID-related questions.
When asked, “What day of the week is it today?” “What color tie are you wearing?” and “What color is the carpet in front of you?” Fauci repeatedly answered that, on the advice of legal counsel, he would plead the Fifth.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) asked Dr. Anthony Fauci a string of questions during his Senate testimony Wednesday, like, “What day of the week is it today?” and “What color tie are you wearing?” Fauci continued to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights to every question from senators.
One… pic.twitter.com/2YUDDApr4j
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 29, 2026
Hawley then stated, “Let’s just get one thing straight: You don’t have any rights under the Fifth Amendment, because you’ve been pardoned, as you very well know.”
The former Missouri attorney general then pointed out that under Supreme Court precedent, someone who is already pardoned cannot rightly invoke the privilege of staying quiet.
Hawley contended, “This isn’t about the Constitution. This isn’t about the law. This is about contempt: Contempt for this body and contempt for the American people.”
Will the Senate vote to hold Fauci in contempt?
Yes: 86% (44 Votes)
No: 14% (7 Votes)
During his questioning of Fauci, Paul noted, “The chairman has denied your assertion of privilege and directed you to answer [the questions]. You nonetheless refused and stand on privilege, despite the existence of the pardon.”
“The committee will have to consider after this hearing what appropriate action should be taken against you for the failure to testify after being directed to do so. It’s against the law to obstruct an investigation of Congress. There will be repercussions,” the senator said.
Rand Paul to Fauci: It’s against the law to obstruct an investigation of congress. There will be repercussions… pic.twitter.com/q8tmkovFop
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 29, 2026
Paul also informed Fauci, “In the red folder on your table is a copy of Section 192 of Title II of the US Code … That section makes it a crime for a witness appearing under subpoena to refuse to answer any questions pertinent to the question under inquiry. Do you have that in front of you?”
Fauci responded by again pleading the Fifth.
Paul quipped, “Let the record show that the witness has refused to answer whether there’s a folder in front of him based on his Fifth Amendment right.”
🚨 JUST NOW: Sen. Paul informs Anthony Fauci that he’s BREAKING THE LAW for by REFUSING to answer questions in this hearing
PAUL: “In the red folder on your table is a copy of Section 192 of Title II of the US Code… That section makes it a CRIME for a witness appearing under… https://t.co/JVItFvy6u0 pic.twitter.com/Sd6DNMY19z
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 29, 2026
George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley posted on social media, “Fauci is taking the Fifth so as not to undermine the protection of his pardon. If he says nothing, he cannot be accused of making a new false statement (which could not be covered by the pardon).”
Paul said Wednesday that he will be scheduling a contempt of Congress vote regarding Fauci for next week, given the former health official’s refusal to answer questions even when they were limited to the time period for which he has already received a pardon.
One thing is certain after Wednesday’s hearing: Fauci’s repeated invocation of the Fifth Amendment only makes Americans think that he’s got something to hide.
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